White Serpent
by TheMrsDSalvatore
Summary: Theirs is a small world and it was inevitable that they would meet again. In the midst of the chaos of trying to keep their world safe - will her past stay in the past or will it find a way to destroy their future?
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing - all the recognisable characters and places belong to their respective owners, I'm merely borrowing them to play with. Any translations and author notes will be at the end of each chapter.  
**

 **All mistakes are my own - I don't have a beta.**

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The noise in the throne room was deafening – both orally and mentally.

"What do we do now?!" Panic and a wealth of other emotions on the same side of the spectrum laced the pleas. Despite their own standing within the things-that-go-bump-in-the-night club, the creatures they encountered today were beings that even monsters such as themselves feared.

"Silencio!" Action followed the order as the room quieted down. Everyone turned to the regal dark haired figure who stood before them at the top of the dais. They all looked to him, one of the three unofficial leaders of their race.

"Grazie my friends. I understand that you are all afraid and I will not discount your fear and tell you not to be. We were at a momentary disadvantage as we did not consider that the Romanians would have the gumption, let alone the connections to utilise them! But…" His near shouting of the word has the cacophony that almost started stilling once more. "we must not let this dishearten us from the fight and fight we must. The existence of our side of this world must remain a secret; I'm sure I don't need to explain the ramifications of our mortal cousins discovering their co-habitants. Luckily… we are **not** alone." Every eye in the room locked on him, most had confusion colouring their black, red or yellow depths.

"Fear not for we shall seek aide. Aide that will come at our call. Tomorrow we will face our enemies once more. Despite their less than scrupulous methods of war, the Romanians it seems, have some little honour left and have called for temporary truce so that we may collect our wounded and give peace to our fallen." With those words, the figure turns to the other two beside him and they disappear.

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 **A/N: I'm from Australia so all my spelling will be Australian English.**

 **Any non-obvious translations marked with (^) and author notes for explanations marked with (*) can be found at the end of each chapter.**

 **Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and looking forward to 2017!**

 **I'm open to all types of reviews, knowing what you think about my story does affect how it will go; though I do ask that you keep any malicious comments to yourself, being critical just to be critical is not welcomed.**

 **This is my first published fanfiction - I do have a life outside of being a dabbling fanfictioner, so please don't press for updates beyond what I've stated.**

 **For this story - the updates will be every Saturday (Australian Eastern Standard Time).**


	2. Chapter One

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing - all the recognisable characters and places belong to their respective owners, I'm merely borrowing them to play with. Any translations and author notes will be at the end of each chapter.**

 **All mistakes are my own - I don't have a beta.**

* * *

The new day dawned and they were all once again on the empty field that only mere hours ago, was filled with the wounded and the dead. The once pristine green field was now pock-marked with charred areas that marked the resting place of those passed on. All manners of creatures ranged before them, hissing insults and taunts. Despite the gnawing fear and dread in their very hearts, those who fight for 'good' remained still as the statues their bodies resemble, a white wall that stands between the offenders and the humans. An infectiously hilarious thought crosses the minds of many – the irony not lost to them that they are standing in defense of the mortals who on a good day, most of them would normally consider food.

A rumble sounds throughout their enemies who were coiled to attack. A signal seems to have been given as they were poised to leap when suddenly, loud thunderous cracks reverberated through the field, each 'boom' accompanied by a flash of light that looked like lightning. The three leaders on the 'good' side breathe a sigh of relief and even start sporting grins of glee. As the last flash landed dead centre and in front of its predecessors, the smoke clears and before them stood a most magnificent sight.

Rows upon rows of armour-clad figures coloured in blacks, reds, blues and white and golds, sectioned into eight columns – black in the middle, white and gold and blue to the right and red to the left of the black. The most impressively intimidating sight however was the lone figure in front of the columns. Astride a horse that looked to be double in size of the norm, a tall and dark ominous man about a third larger than his equine companion sat, clad from head to toe in unrelieved black. Power emanated from him, enough to have seemingly singularly halted the on-the-brink charge of their enemies.

The three leaders stepped forward despite loudly voiced protests from the crowd and approaches the man in front of the army and truly, there wasn't any other word for it but that for an army indeed stood between them and the hissing hoard of horrors.

"Celestial Highness! Wansui, wansui, wanwansui!"^ Jaws dropped as they witness the brothers kowtow before the male in black.

"Shangsheng."^ The deep cadence of his voice rang through them to their very bones. The horse snorts impatiently and its elaborate and decorative armour and bridle jingles, the joyous foreign sound reverberating across the battleground. With negligent ease, the male stills his mighty steed to submission. "We made it just in time it seems, Aro."

"Indeed, My Lord. A thousand pardons and many thanks – "

"Not a necessity old friend, though we are most put out for being called in late." The jesting tone elicits just as much shock as the brothers' laughter.

"We did not anticipate requiring any aide, My Lord. After all, who would have thought the Romanians intelligent enough to seek aide from the denizens of the hell side of Hell?" A concerted round of snorts resounded from the figures who stood at the head of each column, their armour bearing the colouring of those behind them.

"Indeed. Nevertheless, we are here now and I am most pleased that we are able to join in on the fun." The lord purrs, satisfaction lacing the sound in seeming anticipation of the battle.

"You are stalling, My Lord!" The larger leader of the two white and gold columns barks out. "Cut the chit chat and let's get to the chop-chopping! Got places to be and wives to see!"

"You have become impatient and quite boring in your old age, Bai Hu! Perhaps the impending merging of our two households has made you too complacent? Shall we postpone it for another century?" He jeers back. Bai Hu's cohort and the figure who headed the black column to the left of the lord joined Bai Hu's hissed retort.

"Enough My Lord!" Shock once again rings through the crowd at the sinfully feminine voice that sang from the dark red, silver and black clad figure who sat at the lord's right.

"As you wish, wo de gongzhu."^ He grins with a bow of his head towards her before looking straight ahead. "Post!" Despite the command uttered in a voice not an octave above normal, the entire company clearly heard it as they move as one, the eight heads of the column urge their own steeds forward to form the vanguard between the lord and the enemy while the rest fall back and spread themselves out, forming a wall of defense before the crowd.

"Aro, Caius, Marcus fall back!" The female orders. Shock was almost on every face save the guards' as the brothers followed the order and blurred back to their place at the front-line just behind the army. The leader shoots the enemies before him a smirk before making his first move.

"Zhu Que." One of the leaders clad in red raises their hand, a line of flame following the movement. They rose high in an arc, eliciting whimpers of fear from both sides. It then rains down and settles in a perfect ring around their side. The smirk on the leader's face slowly grows to a smile as the scenario plays itself in her mind. _A pawn a move._ The lack of movement from the other side was already something he had expected, allowing him to put into place the next piece in the puzzle; the right move designed to elicit the reaction he was looking for. He licks his lips in anticipation of the reaction he is seeking and knows he will get. All moves anticipated before they were even anything more than a twinkle in their grandfather's eye – this is exactly what makes him an extremely good player in both chess and war, both of which he practically invented.

"Qing Long." Again, the taller of the blue covered leaders is the next to act; their arm simply shooting forward as lasers of light blue streams(?) emit from their fingertips. The streams followed the ring of fire, a crackling sound like that of water flash freezing follows. An icy dome-like barrier manifests a few metres from the fire rings, protecting those standing behind the army.

The horde of horrors had already started hissing at Zhu Que's display but it was Qing Long's that seemed to be the straw on the camel's back as those in the middle suddenly broke ranks and started the charge. The lord now allows his smile to grow into a feral grin, one that showed full of dark humour and an unquenchable thirst. _And there it is_ , the reaction he was waiting for, anticipated, the one he needed to snap the band and let them go on to doing what they do best – fight. Those behind the army had dropped to crouches but were suddenly distracted when the soldiers before them moved in perfect unison, standing at attention before they started glowing; then suddenly the flames seemed to rise higher, the dome pulsed and they all watched in awe and fear as their eight defenders grew to almost double their original size, putting them shy of just a metre or two shorter than their leader.

The female raised her hands in the air and all jaws dropped at the sight of two swords – one gleaming silver and white and the other blacker than a starless night – flying towards her from the sky as if being drawn in by an invisible magnet. When they reached her, one could see that both were spanning lengths easily as tall as she is. Her fingers wrapped around the hilts; she sheathed the black into a scabbard that hung at her side while the silver and white she kept in her hands. She laid this one horizontal in front of her before placing two fingers on the blade near the hilt. As she moved her fingers down the steel, a single note; pure and strong rang through the clearing, so powerful it literally brought those before her to their knees.

"NOW!" The order was barely out of the leader's mouth when the eight charged forward, their horses' hooves shaking the earth. Almost three rows of the enemy were cut down and the chargers were already half-way back before the rest realised what was happening. Astonishment and fear ran through every creature on the field, even the ones who were supposed to be fighting on the same side as it dawned on them that the army was only there to protect the 'good ones' and the eight were more than enough to finish this 'war'.

"Simone! Michael!" The other leader of the black column who was positioned to his left and the white and gold leader who was not Bai Hu wheeled their steeds around, stopped and stood on their stirrups. In concert their hands danced before them shooting out jets of light which flattened into two discs, each moving to the tune of their wielders as they arced around and sliced through two rows before meeting in the middle to explode and take out the middle section of the third. The air was now filled with the agonised moans as well as the arid stench of burning flesh and spilled fluids coming from the enemy's side of the field. This however only momentarily stalled the still advancing army as they now started picking up the pace, still keeping in their formation as much as they are able – it was clear that they were doing this in an effort to protect those standing at the rear.

"Eve! San Long!" The shorter versions of the red and blue leaders also turned around and sailed over their horses's heads, landing at least seven feet ahead and in an impressive display of ability performed a deadly dance where each punch and kick were accentuated by fire (from the red) and ice (from the blue) balls hitting a target with devastating accuracy eliminating the last of the third row and decimating a good number of the fourth. Soon there were only two and a half rows of the enemy left except for the Romanians at the very back. This second wave seems to have brought some kind of sense as they stopped advancing though they did not retreat. Instead they simply halted, while still staying in formation, tightened even further in a vain effort to appear fearsome and intimidating. By now the chargers were safely back into their side of the field though a little bit more further out than when they started – the female now standing in the middle as they stopped in vanguard position before their lord.

"Bai Hu!" At the order, Bai Hu jumps into action eliciting gasps and surprised yelps from their audience when they find a large white tiger with golden stripes landing on all fours – easily reaching the shoulder of their leader even whilst still on horseback. A ferocious roar sounds out, the metallic clang ringing around as the enemy confusingly drop their weapons to the ground beside them. A second one has them snapping into attention and from the looks on their faces completely against their will and the last one that followed cause the last of the fourth row and all of the fifth to explode – showering what's left of their army with bits and pieces of flesh and armour.

"FINISH IT!" The giant tiger charges forward and in the same instant, the female rises to her saddle and launches herself into the air before diving into a somersault and landing on her feet atop the still moving tiger's back in perfect balance. In a synchronised move, they bend their knees, the animal acting as a catapult for the female who used the momentum to launch herself even higher than before into the air and further across; easily crossing the distance of the field and right into the enemy's ranks. Her swords sing as she releases them, as she falls moving in near faster than supernatural sight can follow, cutting through the last row and landed in front of the Romanians. Blocking, parrying and slicing in a flurry, she soon has the rest in pieces coming to rest her swords at the necks of the leaders – Vladimir and Stephan.

"Do you yield?" Their eyes widen in absolute fear and recognising defeat, fall to their knees before her. She makes no movement or sound to acknowledge their submission. In one quick movement, the leader is by her side and it was only then that she moves – to step to the front of him. He draws his own sword, one which span a good third larger than her own and sweeps it into practiced moves. Almost immediately the remaining Romanians scream in pain as they double over themselves and right before their very eyes seem to shrink and cave into themselves, growing smaller and darker until they were no more than two flat black oval shaped discs the length of a human male's hand. He straightens up, lowering his sword before waving a negligent hand and again gasps are heard when a female pops out of nowhere with a large torso-to-knee sized jar in her arms. He twists the lid to open the jar, picks up the discs that were once the Romanian leaders and drops them inside. Once the jar is re-sealed, the woman drops to a bow as low as her cargo allows before disappearing. It was only then that the female drops her stance but not however her guard. Together they both turned around and had one blinked they would have missed them returning to their steeds. As they neared, the rest fell back into position and as one they all rode lazily back. The soldiers relaxed at the unspoken order; the fire and icy dome dissipating into thin air and the glow about all their defenders ebbed away.

"Celestial Highness, we thank you!" Aro exclaims in obvious gratitude as the company stopped in front of him and his brothers.

"Should be thanking you, they got a good warm up, Aro." The lord chuckles as he gestures to the eight behind him. The brothers join him before turning to bow in thanks to the warriors.

"My Lords and Ladies, thank you!" Murmurs rose at the plural indications for both sexes. Each one nodded their head in return, it didn't escape anyone's notice that the known female warrior was first – indicating that she either held the lowest or highest rank in the group after the lord.

"Would you mind joining us back at the castle to interrogate Vladimir and Stephan and learn if there is more to this?" Caius invites.

"Meili, Bai Hu, Simone, Michael as well as the Heise and Jin guards stay. Everyone else – thank you and dismissed." The lord orders. The four he mentioned turned and gave their farewells their companions. It was then and there that the rank of the female was finally discerned when all turned to her first indicating that she ranked the highest after the lord. Most surmised that she must either be his wife or his sister – they couldn't fathom him being old enough to have fathered a full-grown woman – he didn't look old enough! Almost all the females sighed in awe and lust at not just the obvious power that emanated from him but also the beauty upon his form – what little they could see of it behind his armour.

Gasps of awe and surprise sound out as the steeds of the two red armoured leaders started to shimmer before completely disappearing at the same time that they both hurled themselves skyward, changing form mid-flight into magnificent large phoenixes, with one last nod of their flaming heads to the company below, they envelope the rest of their unit within their tails and wings before flashing out of sight.

The two blue armoured leaders were next; their steeds also disappearing and once again aiming for the sky though this time their bodies undulated and elongated until two azure hued snake-looking dragons; one at fourteen feet and the other at nearly twenty floating before them. Their blue armoured columns shimmered in place and many stared in breathless awe at the sight of vary coloured and sized dragons. With one last nod, the two largest take to the sky, their contingent slithering after them.

A half a dozen of the soldiers in white and gold and another half-dozen from the black separate themselves and stand in guard around the five remaining leaders; the rest all turn and salute before also simply disappearing from sight along.

"That never gets old." Marcus sighs while sharing looks with his brothers.

"It really doesn't. Shall we?" The lord drawls as he guides his steed back, his hand signalling to the remaining soldiers who without preamble turn as horses appear next to them, mounting up and forming a perimeter around the leaders, including the brothers. The female dismounts from her steed and turns and offers the reins to Aro who first looks at her hand and then the horse and back again.

"I promise he won't bite... much." She taunts before slapping the reins into his hand and in the same movement reaching out to grab the offered hand of the lord to clamber up and kneel not sit behind him, the black sword this time remains unsheathed while the silver and white is put away. The other black column leader snickers at her actions even whilst they turn to offer their hand to Marcus as both Caius and Aro mount the female's fearsome steed. "Yu Xing, zou!"^ The barked command has the horse moving, those standing closest to the remaining four notice immediately that they and their mounts were slowly shrinking back to human size – three stopping at over six feet tall, one a little shorter at about five foot eight whilst the female further shrinks down to an astonishing five foot two or three at most.

They all travelled in silence; many wondering how they were able to traverse the expanse they did seemingly unnoticed by the humans they passed. Upon finally reaching the castle's courtyard, those who had ridden climbed off their steeds and started tending to them; the rest either stayed and watched or continued on through to the throne room. Many simply gave quick rub downs and a treat or two before waving their hands and making them disappear. The last were the female and the lord, both giving their handsome equine friends thorough attention; removing the saddles and armour, rubbing them down, brushing the gleaming dark coats to shiny finishes whilst crooning and feeding them treats before sending them on their way. The larger of the two snorts at its master's gesture before bowing to his command, the female's steed stands a little more stubbornly, her cooing words and gestures doing nothing to submit the horse to her will.

"Meiyou! Tingzhi zheme guzhi! Ni hui qu, zhe shi yige mingling!"^ Frustration laced the command and finally the horse gives in. The lord and her other three companions all smirk, clearly this is not the first time they've seen this scene and by the looks on their faces they anticipate that it will not be the last time either.

"The blame is on you for that one, My Lord!" The female retorts, acid lacing her tone though it's belied by the twitching of her lips.

"You needed a steed as hard-headed as you." The toothy grin that followed that response was all one needed to know that the horse's personality was a very big factor in his choice and that it was specifically done to provide him with the obvious entertainment that it does. The horse finally disappears and as one the five of them turned to the brothers and indicate they lead the way. They all reached the throne room, those who were in the courtyard with them joined their cohorts on the floor, spreading themselves around the room while the brothers, the guests(?) and their combined guard continued to the dais, the guards stopping at the bottom steps while the rest continued up the three steps that made up the dais where the brothers' thrones sat.

"Our friends! Did we not tell you? Victory is ours and a glorious one at that, not a single being harmed this time, no?!" Aro exclaims gaily as he and company stop and stand at the top step, turning to face their audience. There was a satisfied murmur among the crowd though their curiosity seemed to be running deeper and it showed as they all looked to the five beings who essentially saved their glittery bacons. "Ah yes. Of course, you would be curious of our allies, our salvatori!"^ Smirks widen on four of the five, their eyes darting quickly to the female who rolls her eyes.

A blonde-haired male comes forward, his yellow eyes curious and weary. He seems to be the nominated spokesperson for the rest as none objects to his actions. Hidden by her helmet, none notice the female's eyes narrowing at the sight of him, though her fists clenching to fists were noted by her companions. The lord takes a step towards her, putting her within his arm's reach while her partner plants themselves at her side, their hand resting on the pommel of the sword that hung from their waist.

"Aro, of course we would find ourselves curious. Grateful as we are that they seem to be our allies, we know nothing of what or who they are and surely you cannot fault us on our curiosity after their display out in the battlefield!" Sincere curiosity and a significant amount of fear could be heard from his tone – making those on the dais save for the brothers who remained unawares smile in satisfaction.

"Now that we have the time, we can explain my dear old friend Carlisle." Aro coos bestowing them with a saccharine grin. He turns to the lord who gives a nod. One by one the armour-clad figures take off their helmets, murmurs and whispers abounding as they reveal themselves.

First was a young male looking to be in his mid-to-late twenties with Asian features, golden eyes and silver hair. He stood easily at 6'3" with muscles to spare that rippled freely under his tanned skin. He is followed by the figure next to the female, tawny curls falling just past her shoulders when she lifts her helmet off her head, surprised murmurs as her gender is revealed followed by a sliver of fear as they gaze into her fathomless dark brown orbs; at no more than 5'8" she was the female equivalent of the young male next to her – both clearly exhibiting features of a Euro-Asian mix parentage. The power emanating from them felt terrifyingly awe-inspiring.

Bai Hu follows, his hair was was the same as his cohort's – a silvery white, his eyes violet-grey. With even more muscles than the young man who clearly shared his features, he stood at 6'4" and the raw power flowing from him gave all within its vicinity the same feeling as one would when in the presence of a tiger on a hunt. All now expectantly look towards the female and surprise stirs when it was the lord who reveals himself next. A silky blue-black hued braid falls to mid-thigh, his features though very obviously Chinese are those that have not been seen in the race in a very long time – making all now begin to wonder at his real age. His obsidian gaze drawing them in like a black hole. He stood tall and proud, easily topping Bai Hu at a staggering 6'6". Those looking at the party before them wonder if they were full Asian as they had never before seen such large specimens of the race in abundance. The odd duck every now and then but not in force like this.

The last figure – the female – raises her hands to her helmet.

"Meili!" A male voice calls out from the direction of the doorway, drawing all attention from the female. Everyone turns and watches seven individuals; five males and two females sail through the doors. A blue-eyed male in the lead continues until he reaches the dais, stopping in front of the female.

Without pre-amble, he reaches out and takes her helmet off, the clattering noise as he drops the garment to the ground is accompanied by seven shocked gasps. All of them take in her mesmerising eyes the colour of emeralds, their bright hues enhanced even more by her near translucent pale skin. A cupid's bow mouth, small button nose and heart shaped face are framed by mahogany locks trapped in a long braid that ends just at the top of her thighs. The male easily towered over her, putting him at about 6'4" to her 5'2" at most. The gasps almost went unnoticed; the only ones to catch and make any note of it were the ones who were expecting the reactions to the female's revelation. They all watch as the blue-eyed male reaches out and cups Meili's face reverently before sliding his hands to her shoulders and slumping over in obvious relief.

"Bella?!"

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 **A/N: Translations marked with (^) below**

 **^Wansui, wansui, wanwansui - Google Translate from Chinese (Simplified): ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand of ten thousand years**

 **^Shangsheng - Google Translate from Chinese (Simplified): rise**

 **^Wo de gongzhu - Google Translate from Chinese (Simplified): my princess**

 **^Yu Zing, zou - Google Translate from Chinese (Simplified): Jade Star, walk**

 **^Meiyou! Tingzhi zheme guzhi! Ni hui qu, zhe shi yige mingling! - Google Translate from Chinese (Simplified): No! Stop being so stubborn! You will go, that's an order!**

 **^Salvatori - Google Translate from Italian: saviours**


	3. Chapter Two

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing - all the recognisable characters and places belong to their respective owners, I'm merely borrowing them to play with. Any translations and author notes will be at the end of each chapter.**

 **All mistakes are my own - I don't have a beta.**

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A painful and almost inaudible whisper is heard and all turn to stare at the yellow-eyed, penny-haired male creature who uttered it. The purple colour surrounding his eyes and hallowed look has everyone present feeling jittery around him; such symptoms were clear indications of one of them who has not fed in a while – given the obvious heartbeats and smell of blood flowing through their guests; the five on the dais and the seven recent arrivals, all hoped that he would be able to deploy his infamous control over his thirst as they had a feeling that him attacking the guests would most likely end in his final demise and possibly those of his family.

"The cat is out of the bag now." One of the unknown males – a brown haired, black eyed teenager – snickers. The others in his group all shoot him looks of exasperation before making their way through the crowd towards the front of the room.

"Meili – step to the side so that the brothers can get to the introductions." The couple follows the order. The brothers step forward while their guards arrange themselves at the bottom of the dais; forming a protective perimeter around it. The remaining six from the doorway as well as the dozen (six in black and six in white and gold) that accompanied them back had positioned themselves interspersed between the guards.

"Yes. Yes, of course." Aro chimes. He unnecessarily clears his throat before re-addressing the audience. "Friends, it is with great pleasure and honour that I introduce to you the Emperor of the Dark Northern Mountains, the North Wind, His Celestial Highness Xuantian Shangdi*, also otherwise known as The Xuan Wu, Chinese God of the Arts." The room buzzes with noise as they take in the fact that they have an actual god standing before them.

"Please. Silencio!" The noise stops as they once again focus their attention upon the brothers. "Grazie. The gentleman next to him is the Emperor of the White Western Plains, the West Wind, His Highness, Xi Fang Bai Hu*. The young man next to him is his son, First Prince Michael and the young woman next to Prince Michael is First Princess See Mun^ and oldest daughter of Emperor Xuantian Shangdi." As their names are mentioned, each one nods to the audience. "And last and most certainly not the least, we have the Princess Meili^, his youngest daughter and soon to be Crown Princess of the Dark Northern Mountains." Aro proudly beams.

"As you may have noticed, they are not obviously Cold Ones. They are Shen – closest English translation being god." Shock ripples through the crowd as they gaze in awe upon the five beings standing near the brothers. "His Celestial Highness Xuantian Shangdi, His Highness Bai Hu and the Princess Meili are full Shen. First Princess See Mun or Simone as she's better and preferably known by is a half Shen as is First Prince Michael."

"What is the difference between them?" Someone from near the back of the room asks.

"A full Shen simply came to being or as in the case of the Princess Meili someone whose parents are both Shen. A half Shen is someone who only one of their parents is Shen. In all their history, there are only two born Shen who have parents from different Heavens* – the Princess Meili and the Third Lotus Prince Na Zha, Marshal of the Central Altar. There are also those called Immortals – those who were of human and or supernatural origins who have followed and practiced The Tao* and earned the right to be raised to true immortality." More whispers and murmurs start up again and those in the room take in the information they have just been given.

"As you had seen, they are very powerful beings and what they can do is near limitless. These Shen reside in the Eastern Heavens and their highest authority is the Jade Emperor – Yuqing*, then His Celestial Highness Xuantian Shangdi as the First Heavenly General and lastly the Second Heavenly General, Lord Er Lang. Emperor Xuantian Shangdi is not only the Jade Emperor's right hand but he is also the Supreme Leader of the Four Winds, this makes _everyone_ in their Heavens save the Jade Emperor Himself and the other two Sanqing* which is roughly translated in English as _the Three Pure Ones_ – Shangqing* and Taiqing* his subordinates and so therefore expected to obey his every command and order.

Prince Michael is not Lord Bai Hu's first born child despite his title being First Prince, it merely means that he is Lord Bai Hu's heir and successor; the most talented and strongest of all his children. Princess Simone is in a similar situation however in her case she holds the title First Princess because she is the oldest of his surviving children but she **is not** his heir and successor. That position belongs to the Princess Meili who was born as the Second Princess but by right of power will soon be crowned as the Crown Princess and will be ruling **alongside** her father in place of her late mother. She is the first to be coronated thus as via her mother, she is the acknowledged heir and First Princess of the Western Heavens.

The seven who had just appeared are the Mikaelson family, the originators of the **ALL** vampire races. They are also the first of _any_ creature – human or supernatural – to be raised as Immortals. Lord Finn is the oldest in age but is the second to be transitioned and raised. He is also the progenitor of us Cold Ones. Lord Elijah is the first to transition as well as the first to be raised, their brother Lord Niklaus is more well known as Klaus and despite being the third to be transitioned and raised is more powerful than his older brothers due to his unique hybrid status. He is followed by Lord Kol and lastly their youngest Lady Rebekah who were respectively transitioned and raised. Lady Sage is Lord Finn's mate, she was transitioned alongside her husband, second to the last to be raised. And last but most certainly not the least, we have Lord Damon Salvatore who is Lord Elijah's son and heir, despite being the youngest in transitioning as well as being raised, Lord Damon is just as equally powerful as his father, more so than Lady Sage who has over two decades over him as he was born with Mikaelson blood running through his veins."

Jaws dropped as the information flowed from the lips of the brothers who had taken turns to introduce and explain the beings before them. The noise dies down as the Dark Lord steps forward.

"We are not here to take over. We only came down because your leaders needed and asked for aide. For millennia after millennia we have 'lived' among you, most often you have crossed our paths and had never known as you didn't need too and we prefer it that way. Of course, should the need for aide arise again we are more than happy to give it…"

"As we are happy to give ours in turn, My Lord." Caius quipped in.

"Our thanks Caius. As I was saying, should you require help, we are happy to give it, reason and circumstance willing." He finishes.

"They have graciously decided to take the time to assist us with interrogating the Romanians to discern if there will be any more or further threats as well as answer any questions anyone has of them about them; though be warned that they of course reserve the right not to answer any questions they do not wish too. We ask that you observe and respect their customs. Their culture, their way of life is different and so you must all remain open minded to any that you may learn.

Please address them by their titles unless they have given you permission otherwise. You may address His Celestial Highness Xuantian Shangdi as Lord Xuan Wu. The White Tiger as Lord Bai Hu. The other three are Prince Michael, Princess Simone and Princess Meili; though after her coronation, you must address the Princess Meili by the ceremonial name she will be presented with. The Mikaelsons are also of nobility, **our** nobility to be exact and so we expect that you treat them as such and address them accordingly.

Further, please refrain from touching or behaving inappropriately towards them, despite His Celestial Highness' assurance that they are not here to take over, they **are** _our_ superiors; most especially with the Princess Meili through her mother we **are** _their_ subjects and as such are due our highest honour and respect. Are we all clear?" Marcus' lecture is met by silence and a furious nodding of heads. Aro claps his hands for attention.

"Well then please tend to your wounded, there are libations in the next room – catering for **all** diets, so do help yourselves and replenish your strength. His Celestial Highness and his party as well as the Mikaelsons will be remaining in the throne room, so there is no need to rush." With this, he releases them from the formal atmosphere of the room, turning to his guests. Most do leave the throne room to avail themselves to the proviso in the next room though the two vegetarian covens stay behind. The group watches in awe as their leaders as well as the five Shen descend to mingle with both sets of guards and the Mikaelsons.

Once they get to the floor, Xuan Wu snaps his fingers and five beings appear before them, three males and two females – three are dressed in black, the rest in white and gold. They watch in fascination as they reach out and begin what seems to be the process of relieving the Shen of their armour. As each piece is removed, it disappears, the helmets were the last that the beings all reach for (or in the case of Princess Meili's, squat down to) and with deep bows disappear. The Shen before them now stood dressed in what seemed to be combat outfits with both eastern and western influences in respective colours of their armour.

Simone and Meili both wore what looked to be figure-hugging no-sleeved, v-necked, short-panted black outfits with again sleeve-less overcoats which floated to their ankles and half-jackets with pulled-up collars that reached to their ears. The sleeve-less overcoats were belted close just under their ribs; Simone's had rose-gold trimming while Meili's was red; the belts the same. The trimming on their jackets were similar respectively though the those on their black thigh-length boots were the opposite; Simone's being red and Meili's rose-gold.

Bai Hu and Michael were both wearing pants that looked like those for horse-riding with knee-length booths both in tan colour and they had flowing, loose white long-sleeved shirts that didn't seem to have any buttons or closed up as they flapped open, extremely fit figures with _eight-pack_ abs.

Xuan Wu was dressed in an all black calf-length _changshan*_ along with matching trousers which looked to be made of silk. Upon closer inspection, they could see dragon-headed turtles and snakes embossed in black all over.

"Meili!" The Mikaelsons converge on the young princess, surrounding her and breathing sighs of relief that she is obviously unharmed.

"One would think you should all be used to this by now." She muses, their audience surprised at the cultured British that colours her accent, her stance shifting as for the first time since her appearance as she relaxes completely.

"Little Dove, this is the first time in a century that you have gone without us!" Niklaus scolds, a golden ring appear around his blue coloured orbs as he reaches out to brush a lock back behind her ear. The penny-haired male from before stiffens as his gesture; eyes turning black with anger, body vibrating with jealousy. The rest of the Mikaelsons follow Niklaus' lead in un-heatedly scolding the young princess.

"You're all just pissed that you missed out on the fun, if you can call it that. There was barely enough for us to do, Uncle Jon had to put a leash on Ah Mei so that the rest of us can get in on the action! Not to mention did you really think we could trust you lot unsupervised around the Cold Ones? Aside from the Volturi, none of you hold any love for the species." Michael taunts. The male Mikaelsons shoot him glares while everyone else hides their grins.

"And Blue Baloo is just his usual possessive, perverted self because he missed out on seeing my sister in action not to mention being surrounded by all these males." Simone chirps. This causes all to burst out laughing. Said blue-eyed Immortal huffs before reaching out to wrap an arm around her sister and pull her into his embrace.

"Laugh all you want, I know for a fact that I'm not the only one to act this way – you're just lucky *Mickey Mouse that Sailor Moon is not as paralyzingly gorgeous as Belle so that you don't have to worry about anyone trying to steal your girl!" Simone was at odds – she didn't know whether she should feel insulted or relieved by his statement. The rest of their party simply give into the humour of the whole situation and gales and gales of laughter ring around them.

"Well as you can all see, we're safe and sound and not a scratch in sight. Now, Nik have you contacted that oaf you claimed as your adopted son to give up New Orleans yet? And how about the she-wolf, Eli? Have you taken care of her for being foolish enough to think she can fool you all with stuffing that pillow up her dress and calling it a miracle?" Both men in question take on a sheepish look while the rest of their family unsuccessfully try to hide their snickers behind their hands.

"The she-bitch and my brother's mistake of an adoption, are both currently cowering in our old home, vainly trying to come up with some kind of plan to delay the inevitable, though it seems that the wolf has developed a tendre for _your dear_ Eli." Kol snorts as he glowers at his two elder brothers.

"Why are you two playing such a stupid game? Please don't tell me because you're bored?!" Meili trills. Their guilty expressions tell her all she needs to know. "Honestly! I expected this from Kol and Damon and even to a certain extent Bex – but you both are old enough to know better! It was cute at first, I allowed your games because the humans stand a better chance of survival when you're preoccupied but honestly this is has gone on too long and I can only take so much of smelling that poor excuse for a wolf's scent! It's not pleasant and sticks to everything like a boozed-up leech! Finish your games, preferably before _our_ next Earthly visit!"

The two elder Mikaelsons nod empathically, their heads partially hung in shame at being scolded by the tiny female. Damon smirks at his father, his baby blue eyes clearly telling his venerated sire _'I told you so!'_

"Aren't you going to scold Damon too? He has his own loose ends to tie up back in Virginia?" Niklaus slyly throws his nephew under the bus. Meili turns and raises a brow at the Original Son in question who raises his hands in surrender.

"Not my fault that they're both delusional. And if you want someone to blame, take it out on Uncle Nik – he's the one who blabbed to them about my extremely unwanted and brief history with their ancestor. If he had kept his snout shut, then I wouldn't be in this predicament in the first place! How they concluded what they did is beyond me considering that I wasn't even enamoured by Thyra* and even if I was, they look nothing like her, so how does that even work out in the first place?!"

"Whipped." Kol coughs behind his hand. Damon turns to his youngest uncle with a lascivious grin.

"Pot meet kettle, Uncle Kol. Besides who wouldn't want to be whipped by _our_ luscious little princess? I for one do not mind one bit, not one bit at all!" His statement earns him a poor excuse for a growl from the yellow-eyed mind reader.

"That is enough of that talk. Have you all forgotten that we are not alone in this room and it's not proper to be discussing such personal matters in front of strangers." Sage cuts in, shooting her younger brother-in-law a look when he was about to retort. As one the entire group turn to look over the cluster of Cold Ones who had opted to stay in the room with them.

Taking this as their cue, the seven fore-front make their way over, the beings before them all politely staying in place, waiting for them.

"Ah yes, the Olympic and Denali _covens_ and their friends. We are ever so thankful for your assistance, your numbers as well as gifts helped with keeping our wounded and most especially our dead at a minimal." Aro hums cheerily, seemingly unaware of the tension that rose higher and higher within the Shen and the Originals, the closer the covens got.

"May I introduce you My Lo…" Aro turns to his guests only to stop mid-sentence as he finally notices the not so friendly expressions on their faces. "My Lord?" His tone though highly curious was also laced with worry and a sense of burgeoning anger.

"Forks." The Dark Lord answers.

"They are the Cold Ones in the Princess' story?!" It didn't take long for the brothers to connect the dots and make the correct conclusions. Anger surged through them and it was only by sheer strength of will that they were able to stop themselves from raining a world of pain upon the not-so-humane coven.

"Just the Olympic coven, Aro. But that discussion is neither for here nor now. Let us satisfy the curiosity of your subjects first." Bai Hu suggests with a nod of his towards the doors where the others were coming back from.

The rest of the day is spent with both the Shen and the Mikaelsons answering nearly all questions posed to them by the crowd. Most noticed that personal questions about how they are connected or related to each other, except for the obvious relationships that the brothers had already shared went unanswered. Of course, this only served to further fuel their desire to know but most were more than scared enough of the collective powers that could easily wipe them out with a negligent flick of a finger.

It also didn't escape their notice how the only un-attached member of the Olympic coven stared longingly at the Princess Meili, his not so subtle gazes eliciting barely concealed possessive growls from the Mikaelson all but glued to her side.

It wasn't long after sunset that the last of the crowd had finally had their fill and departed the castle, leaving only its permanent residents, their non-Cold One guests and the vegetarian covens left in the now cooling throne room.

"Now Carlisle, explain yourself!" Caius demands as he marches to his throne and throws himself upon it. His brothers follow suit, the Shen and Originals not far behind with the Dark Lord as well as Meili summoning seats from seemingly out of air. The vegetarians wearily sit themselves down, taking the seats closest to the exit, not that it would have done them any good but if it made them feel better, less guarded, the others weren't about to burst **that** bubble.

"Why do we have to explain ourselves first?! Clearly we're the victims here as _Bella_ obviously lied about who she really is." Sneered a blonde haired, amber-eyed female who was being held in check by a very large dark haired male.

"You were not the one for whom the question was posed to Rosalie Lillian Hale and as such you will hold your tongue! Your _father_ may have allowed you liberties and freedom to voice your mind but you will remember in whose presence you are in!" Marcus thunders, finally eliciting the desired response from the fair-haired harpy.

Rosalie would have been described as a true beauty had it not been marred by the disdainful expression that seemed to now be permanently etched on her face – the look that one takes on when they smell something unsavoury. On the surface, she seemed to be seething with rage about her _father, her family_ being commanded to answer but if one was to take the time to look into her eyes or even read her mind they would be extremely surprised to find that the source of her anger was far from what all thought it would be.

 _Jealousy._

That was the sole and only focus of her rage. The shallow woman was jealous of the Princess Meili who seemed to not only have the position, the power and the looks but also able to without much effort command the sole and absolute attention, affection and adoration of not one but two of the only males to have ever not cared for nor lusted after Rosalie's egocentric beauty.

Today was not the first time that Rosalie had encountered the Mikaelsons. They had crossed paths once when she was still human, a few months before she was turned. The family had waltzed into town, turning all heads with both their ethereal beauty as well as their vast wealth. All of Rochester vied for their attention and Rosalie and her family were but three of the many. She had of course expected that they would fall at her feet as many of the others before them had done and she was utterly surprised and humiliated when they didn't.

Vicious lies and malicious rumours flew from her lips in hatred, given her position as the town's darling there were more than a passing few who listened. Of course, it did eventually reach the ears of her target but rather than confront her to force her to dispel the rumours and lies she spread, they instead chose to ignore her, further fanning her ire. With no visible proof or even an acknowledgment by the offended party, her tales soon became only that; tales told by a spurned young girl throwing a tantrum. Soon enough the family had moved on and her parents had turned their and her attention to the highly eligible and handsome Royce King. The rest as they say is history.

A haze of rage seemed to blanket over her mind as she watched the object of her hatred seemed to have effortlessly claimed the attention of the only two males to have not fallen for her beauty. To her it seemed unfair as even with Emmett, _her husband of decades,_ she had to work to ensure that his attention never strayed. To see the 'human' she despised and envied so much have in the palm of her hand everything that Rosalie could ever have wanted made her want to snatch the girl and snap her neck.

"Calm Rose, calm." The blonde-haired empathic member of their coven chants as he vainly tries to manipulate his adoptive sister's emotions. Fear was his conviction as he knew without a doubt that if Rosalie so much as flicks a look the wrong way at the girl they once knew as Bella it would be the last thing she would ever do. He almost succeeded until their idiot of a brother opened his pompous mouth.

"I will rip you apart first before you can even _think_ to lay a hand on her, Rose!" She snapped and a growl ripped from her throat as she rose from her seat and readied to spring.

"Be still!" Xuan Wu commanded in a volume no louder than as if he was simply holding a conversation. Rosalie's body froze in its present state though her mind was still very much free. Both covens froze in fear as they watched the Dark Lord stalk towards the blonde.

"You have got to be very stupid if you think I would allow you to harm my daughter and all over a shallow emotion as jealousy! Get over yourself! You act as if it is the end of the world that two males, both of whom you are clearly attracted to and want for yourself contrary to your denials; verbal or otherwise, find some other not yourself more attractive! You are the most vain, selfish and self-absorbed being I had ever met save for your narcissistic mind reading brother over there! By the Tao!" He exclaims as he flings himself away from the temptation of ripping the vapid girl apart. He then turns to the creature who started the whole mess, scoffing when he found him safely ensconced between his 'brothers'.

"As for you! You will keep your comments to yourself and your big mouth shut else I shut it for you! Permanently." His warning was delivered with a not so subtle push with the help of the air elementals under his command, shoved all three of them still seated on the sofa clear across the room and against the opposing wall next to the doors.

"Well I had always had an inkling she hated me but I thought it had more to do with the fact that I was a human invading her supernatural life, didn't once peg that it was over something as idiotic as that! Gotta say, she's really giving you poor blondes a bad name, Bex and Nik." Meili muses as she casually leans more into her partner's embrace, whose arms tighten even more around her as his instincts flickered erratically in the face of the dangers that ranged before his love.

The three Cullens made their way back with the sofa in the arms of the biggest of all the Cullens, the dark-haired male who had previously had his arms around Rosalie.

"How about we start with the introductions? We know the names and have a vague idea of who is who but clarifying things would probably be much better, no?" The man Meili had affectionately called Eli offered. Most nodded and he crossed to stand in between the sofas that held his family.

"I believe we will start. My name is Elijah Mikaelson and I am a traditional vampire and the one they call The Original as I was the first of my family to transition. From us sprung both races of vampires. The man to my left and the lady next to him is our older brother Finn and his wife Sage. Finn is the progenitor of you Cold Ones. Aro is his first and only Cold One sireling. The young lady next to Sage is our youngest sibling and sister, Rebekah. The young man to my right is my son, Damon and yes, he is **my** son, conceived before my transition. You already know the young princess next to him, the man on the other side of her is our younger brother Niklaus otherwise known as Klaus The Hybrid, he is the only known vampire-werewolf hybrid in existence and last but not the least is our brother, Kol The Prodigy. He is also a hybrid, a warlock-vampire one and to our knowledge, the strongest in existence being the first Wiccan born in our line after our mother who descendant from Silas the First Warlock himself. I pray you never find yourself at the busy end of his craft.

We would have been here during the battle but we were caught up with another matter and hence why the Shen appeared in our place. All vampires are our responsibility. The other reason for their appearance is because of our Meili's connection to this side of the world. Via her mother, the Western Heavens now also falls under their purview, something that they had already arranged with the previous guardians.

As you were already told, Michael is Tiger's, excuse me, Bai Hu's son and heir. Simone is Jon, I mean, Xuan Wu's older daughter as well as Michael's fiancée. Meili is his younger daughter and soon-to-be co-ruler…" He was interrupted by the red-headed mind reader.

"And what's your connection to them? The _Shen_? What is it that's between you that you have the right to somehow request for their assistance without question or price?"

"Well aside from the almost five hundred years of friendship between the Jade Emperor and myself?! Marriage." He smugly informs them.

* * *

 **A/N: Translations marked (^) and author notes marked (*) below**

 ***Xuantian Shangdi: the formal title for the Emperor of the Dark Northern Mountains of the Eastern Celestial Heavens, meaning Dark Heavenly Highest Deity**

 ***Xi Fang Bai Hu: the formal title of the Emperor of the Western White Plains of the Eastern Celestial Heavens, meaning White Tiger of the West**

 **^See Mun – Chinese translation meaning quick thinker i.e. smart girl**

 **^Meili – Google Translate from Chinese (Simplified): beautiful**

 ***The Tao – from Wikipedia: the Chinese word signifying 'way', 'path', 'route', 'key' or sometimes more loosely 'doctrine' or 'principle'. Within the context of traditional Chinese philosophy and religion, the Tao is the intuitive knowing of "life" that cannot be grasped full-heartedly as just a concept but is known nonetheless through actual living experience of one's everyday being. The Tao differs from conventional (Western) ontology in that it is an active and holistic practice of the natural order of Nature and its universal awakening, rather than a static, atomistic one.**

 ***Heavens: there are two different Heavens in the Celestial Plane; the Eastern Heavens which covers the continents of Asia, Central Asia, Middle East and Australia whilst the Western Heavens covers Europe, Africa, Greenland and the Americas. There are also three Planes of existence; the First Plane where the Lady Nuwa, Chinese Goddess of Creation and the three Fates reside; the Celestial Plane where the Shen and the Immortals reside and the Earthly Plane where the mortals, humans and supernatural beings reside.**

 ***Yuqing – from Wikipedia: the pinying name of one of the Taoist Trinity of the Eastern Plane, meaning the Jade Pure One, Primeval Lord of Heaven; also, known as the Jade Emperor**

 ***Sanqing – from Wikipedia: the pinying name of the Taoist Trinity of the Eastern Plane, they are the three highest gods in the Taoist pantheon; they are regarded as the pure manifestation of the Tao and the original of all sentient beings**

 ***Shangqing – from Wikipedia: the pinying name of one of the Taoist Trinity of the Eastern Plane, meaning the Supreme Pure One, the Universal Lord of Numinous Treasure**

 ***Taiqing – from Wikipedia: the pinying name of one of the Taoist Trinity of the Eastern Plane, meaning the Grand Pure One, the Lord of the Way and its Virtue**

 ***Changshan:** **traditional male garb** **–** **it's a long sleeved top with over lapping ends buttoned-up near where the shoulder meets the neck on the right-hand side. It has a collar similar to that off a Christian priests which stands about 2 to 3 inches up the neck. Both sides at the bottom have slits to allow for movement.**

 ***Mickey Mouse = Michael, Sailor Moon = Simone and Belle = Meili (obviously): just some meant-to-be annoying aliases given to them by our resident blue-eyed Original**

 ***** **Damon was turned at the age of 25 via the immortality potion. His transition was not one by choice though he does not resent it. He was ambushed and fatally injured by a jealous and jilted lover of Thyra Petrova, niece of Tatia who was Niklaus' love. Thyra had set the man on Damon after he had bluntly rejected her advances and enticements to her revolving bedroom door**


	4. Chapter Three

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing - all the recognisable characters and places belong to their respective owners, I'm merely borrowing them to play with. Any translations and author notes will be at the end of each chapter.**

 **All mistakes are my own - I don't have a beta.**

* * *

"Marriage?!" They all exclaim.

"Oh yes. Marriage." Elijah purrs drawing out the 'es' sound, clearly enjoying his toying taunts at the glittery pains in the ass who had harmed his son's beloved. "Our Damon has been their Meili's husband of nearly how many years, son?"

"Celebrating our wedding centennial next month." Damon pipes in whilst looking in his wife's eyes, bringing her hand up to his lips and kissing the rings that symbolised over a hundred years of his unfaltering love and devotion. "I love you, **my** princess." He coos as he gets lost in the forest depths of his soul, the adoration he has and the love he feels for her so overwhelming that one didn't need an empath to know the depth of his emotions. It was very clear for all to see.

" **NO!** " The penny-haired Cold One yells, shooting up from his seat.

"As much as you are in denial, it is the truth. My daughter and Damon have been married for almost a hundred years and…"

" **SHE LOVES ME!** A love like ours… Sh-she said she could never love anyone like she loves me… She said… She said…" Everyone looked at the boy(?), shocked to stillness by his outburst.

"Edward." Meili sighs, one could hear the resignation and frustration in her voice.

"NO! No! You love me! You wanted to give me your soul! **I'M** your soulmate! You're mine! I **mourned** you! All these years! And you've been alive all this time and you didn't even bother to let me know! All this time I searched for you, thinking that it must be grief or something that wiped you from their collective minds! Why didn't you come to me?! Why didn't you try and find me?! How cruel can you be, letting me mourn you all this time?!" Edward accuses. Meili's green eyes darkened in anger at his words, words that he threw around with nary a care or it seemed thought to their effects. As usual, he was being selfish. Always about himself. **His** feelings. **His** wants. Understand **him. Him. Him. Him.**

"I'm cruel?! Me?!" The young Shen grits as she fights to control her anger. Her husband rubs his hands on her biceps in an effort to assist her. "You're right!" Everyone looks at her surprised though none of them say anything as they call see that she was not done, nowhere near even remotely a fraction of the way and they can all also see that this is going to be like one of those train wrecks – tragic to see but so hard to look away. The rustic-haired Cold One's head snaps up and his amber eyes meet hers, lighting up in hope. He opens his mouth but stops when Meili shoots her hand up. "I **did** love you. I **did** offer you my soul," He takes a step forward in eagerness only to be stopped by her shooting up from hers. " **BUT** ," Her tone at the word sends a shiver down his spine, not the good kind and his hands suddenly itch to reach up and plug his fingers in his ear like a child not wanting to hear words they don't want to hear. "You also broke so many of your promises, Edward. Every single goddamn day I realised that we were together was a lie. I'm not sure if you realised it but as they say, hindsight is 20/20 and it wasn't until my real family came along and I was able to process everything that I saw it all. Our relationship was toxic. We were addicted to each other and I had lost who I was when I gained you.

I didn't contact you all this time because I moved on. You said a clean break was best and you were right. First love they say is hard to forget and I realise they are right but not for the romantic reasons that most tend to associate it with. It's hard to forget because it's also the first time you would experience pain. The kind of pain that you will remember all the way down the years because your heart won't let you as a lesson to be more careful next time who you entrust it with. Less than eighteen months we knew each other Edward and it wasn't even until the last few months of it that we were properly together. **One and a half years** compared to almost **eleven decades** that I have known my husband, married to him for ninety-nine years and eleven months of it?!

I do not know any other way to tell you this where it will not sound harsh or hurtful but someone has got to make you understand."

"Bella?" He all but whimpers as he turns his gaze upon the girl (woman now) he had stupidly left behind.

"With Damon, Edward, I found myself. I found who I am again and more. Contrary to what others may think." The young Shen's emerald orbs flicking towards Rosalie. "I was not aware of my true parentage and heritage until they finally came for me. Consequently, the same night you left." Meili drew herself to her full height, as inconsiderable as it was. "My name is Meili Donahoe Chen Salvatore. Daughter of Emperor Xuantian Shangdi, The Xuan Wu, Chinese God of the Arts and his late wife, Empress Emma Donahoe Chen, Princess of the Western Celestial Heavens. I am also the current heir and successor to the Western Celestial Heavens and soon-to-be crowned co-ruler of the Dark Northern Mountains. But most importantly, I am the soulmate and eternal wife of Damon Salvatore." The silence following her declaration was deafening, so quiet one would have heard a feather drop.

"He left you in the woods?!" Two of the three blondes from the other vegetarian coven exclaimed.

"Y-es. Seriously?! Out of everything that I just said, that what you focused on?!" Meili asks incredulously.

"I left her on the trail!" The Cold One whines. All of them save his family make derisive and disgusted noises and in the case of the Denalis, even their mental voices we're condemning him to the deepest pits of hell. "Why can't I hear your thoughts?!" He questions to the Originals as well as the Shen.

"Because we are more powerful than you can only dream to be. Now that my daughter has said what she needs to say. We need to get on with this, as important as this discussion is, some of us do have other duties we need to attend to, so if you can please, we have an idea of who is who but I believe that we need to clarify. We all know what assuming does, do we not?" Xuan Wu indicates to the blonde who seems to be their leader.

"My name is Carlisle and this lovely lady here is my wife and mate…" He starts.

"None of you except for Eleazar and Carmen are mated. Do not bandy that word around so haphazardly, Carlisle Cullen. It is insulting and improper." Marcus interrupts. All the Cullens look at him with surprise.

"Uhh…" Carlisle struggles to keep his composure. "As I was saying, this is my wife Esme, Rosalie is our daughter and the young man holding her is her husband Emmett. Behind them is Jasper and next to him is his wife, Alice. And of course, over there is Edward. We are the Cullen _family_ currently residing in Rochester, New York." He stammered out, each member nodding their head in acknowledgement of their names. The former Volturi guard steps up.

"I am Eleazar and this beautiful creature next to me is my mate, Carmen. The strawberry blonde is Tanya, next to her with the guinea gold curls is Irina and last but not the least, Kate. Of the five of us, only Kate and I are gifted. I am able to discern the talents in others and Kate is a electrokinetic. We are the vegetarian coven from Denali, Alaska and we consider ourselves kin to the Cullens as we share the same diet." His hands wave towards his coven mates who acknowledge with either a smile or a movement as they are introduced. Once the introductions were over both coven leaders sat back down beside their respective partners and all patiently waited for what is to happen next.

"Tell me Eleazar, aside from Edward who has obviously outed himself as a type of telepath, are any of the other Cullens _talented_?" Kol asks, his dark eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Alice, Lord Kol is a type of seer – her future telling is based on the outcomes of decisions made. Jasper is an empath, he is able to feel and manipulate present emotions, he however cannot manufacture them." Gasps of outrage sound from the lips of said kin as he informed them of their powers. "Though the other four present no visible or obvious talents of their own; Carlisle as you may already be aware is known as _Stregone Benefico_ , the pioneer of the animal blood diet and has extra-ordinary control over his bloodlust to the extent that he has worked in the medical field as a doctor for almost two centuries. Esme herself is known to be very compassionate, Emmett seems to have retained almost all of his newborn strength and Rose's beauty can be rivalled against the Volturi's Heidi, otherwise known as the Fisherman."

"Thank you Eleazar. You have been most helpful, more so than can be expected of others." Niklaus thanks him, casting a near obvious glance over at the Cullens.

"Before we get further into this, I believe we should get down to the unpleasant business of _questioning_ the Romanians first?" Caius interjects.

"Excellent suggestion, brother dear!" Aro exclaims excitedly. "This way, we have more time to devote our energies into asking the proper questions and getting the honest answers we desire, no?" The bone-chilling smirk that appears on his face has the Cullens flinching visibly. Elijah was about to start when two people suddenly appeared before the dais steps; a pale young man with black hair and golden eyes dressed in an all-black suit and a young woman with forest green hair and jade green eyes dressed similarly but in a skirt instead of pants. They looked around and once they caught sight of the Dark Lord, immediately made their way over and kowtowed before him.

"Wansui, wansui, wanwansui." They chanted while keeping their bodies bowed and foreheads touching the floor.

"Shangsheng." Xuan Wu sighs before crossing his leg over the other and waiting for them to straighten themselves up. They rose only to look towards Meili, bowing to at their waist, with one fist against an open palm. She waves her hand dismissively as does Damon when they repeated the gesture to him.

"Jade, Gold, Bai Hu's hair will turn black before you deliver your message. We are on the Earthly, you do not need to follow the entire Celestial protocol." Xuan Wu drawls effectively putting a stop to the show just as they were turning to bow to Simone. Both scramble to right themselves in front of him.

"My Lord. A thousand apologies for interrupting but a situation has arisen at Fuyang in the Anhui province. Lord Er Lang who had initially gone to assess the situation has returned and asked us to retrieve you." The young man explained. Glances were exchanged between the five Shen before the Dark Lord nodded.

"Understood. Go back to Er Lang and tell him we will go there directly. I will contact him to gain the exact location. Dismissed." At his words, both saluted again before disappearing as suddenly as they appeared. Xuan Wu turns to the brothers. "Well, it looks like this will have to be postponed to a later date, Aro. We will be in touch."

"Of course, My Lord. If you can kindly keep our Romanian friends in their current state and under your supervision until your new business is finalised, we would be most grateful. Also, before you depart, what would you wish us to do with the Cullens?" Aro asks.

"They are free to go. Locating them for later will not be a problem as we now have their mental signatures. Short of setting themselves on fire or taking a trip down to the hell side of Hell, there is not a place on the Earthly that we cannot find them and it is not as if they can enter into the Celestial." He shrugs. With those words and a last look at the coven in question, he disappears from the spot. The rest of the Shen stand from their seats, the Mikaelsons following. Both parties turn and make their farewells to the brothers, promising visits when they are free. The last to leave were Meili, Damon and Elijah.

"Well Aro, it was great seeing you lot again. Do try _not_ to get into too much trouble." Elijah taunts as he shakes hands with the brothers. The guard snickers while the rest shake their heads.

"We will try our best, Lord Elijah." Caius laughs as he pulls Meili into his embrace, causing Edward to wince at the sight of a red-eyed Cold One, not to mention, a red-eyed _king_ of the Cold Ones embracing _his love_. She returns the favour before linking hands with her husband.

"As Daddy said, we'll be in touch." She reiterates before holding out her hand palm up to the brothers. It glowed extremely bright for a moment before fading and in her palm sat a black disc the size of an Australian twenty cent coin. She held it up to Aro who took it and placed it carefully into the pocket of his suit jacket.

"Many thanks, Princess. We look forward to seeing you at your centennial and of course there is your sister's wedding." Meili smiles before turning to her father-in-law. "Are you coming with or are we meeting you at your home?"

"An apocalypse could not keep me away, my dear." He laughs and before Edward could even formulate the thought to stop her, the three of them disappeared. He stood up and raced towards the doors, intent making his way over to China only to be stopped by the guards who to his surprised surpassed his prided speed.

"Where do you think, you are going, young Edward?" Marcus questions him as Felix and Demitri frog march him back.

"To go and stop Bella before she gets herself hurt. She seems to be under the illusion that she can go and do something dangerous…" He started only to let out a squeak that was quickly silenced when Caius lunged forward and grabs him by the throat, his fingers slowly clenching close.

"You will address the Princess Meili properly as is her due! She is the ultimate authority over all of us here in the Western Earthly Plane as well as being the wife of the ruler of _all_ vampires. Her actions are none of your concern!" He snarls into the face of the mind reader, making all who heard it flinch in fear. The Volturi brothers and their guards look over the boy in disgust as they all wonder how he was able to handle their strong and fearless princess. They surmised that it had to have been because she was still technically human when they interacted and had been so innocent and naïve of the world.

"Lord Xuan Wu may have been generous in not having you detained, unfortunately for you we are not so generous and as the _kings_ to whom you have vowed fealty to we have every right to detain you and question you about your very obvious breaking of the law. You not only exposed yourselves to a human but you had treated her so deplorably that you make the monsters we met today look like angels in comparison!

We do not plan on judging you today. No, the whole of our world needs to know of your deplorable actions and the Princess Meili deserves justice. Therefore, in front of the Denali coven as witnesses, we the Volturi are detaining the Olympic coven for an indefinite amount of time such until that the victim, the Princess Meili of the Dark Northern Mountains is able to formally press charges against them." Caius grits as he reluctantly throws Edward over to Demitri who quickly locks the mind reader's head between his wrists whilst Felix pulls his arms behind him. A small struggle from him would result in his head and arms being torn off his body, having read this from their minds he stops struggling, he wasn't a big fan of pain.

* * *

Meili and the rest of her company appears beside her father. They were standing at the mouth of what looked like a cave at Fuyang in the Anhui region of Mainland China.

"So, what's the situation?" She asks as she walks towards the Dark Lord. Looking around she notices that it's only her, Damon, their fathers, Niklaus and Bai Hu present. It doesn't escape her notice that those present where those whose skills are more suited towards eliminating more than anything else.

"As you know, His Celestial Majesty has tasked Er Lang with looking into the reports of missing small Shen. Er Lang said he was following a lead when he spotted what looked like an actual kidnapping in progress. He tracked them to this cave and when he tried to enter, he was rejected. After thoroughly scouting the area he said he noticed that the energy signature coming from the cave is not dissimilar to ours and he thought that perhaps we might be able to give it a try and see if we can get in." Xuan Wu explains.

"What's the plan _after_ we get in?" She pointedly asks as she can clearly see that her venerated sire hadn't actually looked that far ahead. Most likely because he jumped into this head on after meeting the Cullens. The look he gives her lets her know that her assumptions were correct and she lets out a sigh.

"You've had over a hundred and ten years and some to get over this, Daddy. If I have, I think you can. Now let's focus on this and see what we can do, then after you and I are having a _talk_." She returns with a look of her own. She flicks a loaded glance over to her husband who simply shrugs before standing protectively over her; the action speaks of their almost a hundred and ten years of being together – at this point, they instinctively just know the other's needs and thoughts. Trusting that both her father and husband have got her covered, Meili takes another deep breath before reaching into herself and centring her energy centres. Once she has them aligned she lets go and soon finds her astral-self gliding toward the entrance of the cave. She is surprised to learn that Er Lang was indeed correct – the energy in the cave does feel a lot like her family's and it doesn't take her long to be able to convince it to let her through. Once in, she races down the tunnel, following the feeling at the pit of her stomach. She reaches her destination and it was all she could do not to vomit at the sight before her – not that she's aware if she can actually do so in this form but the roiling feeling in her abdomen says it's a very real possibility.

In a cavern about the size of a football field, rows upon rows of smaller Shen – full and half alike were laid out on beds with tubes stuck to them, draining them of not only their blood but also their very essence – their Shen. Swallowing back the bile in her throat, Meili forces herself to continue on past the cavern and through the entrance on the other side. Here she stumbles upon what looks like the lab slash store room set up in an ante chamber a quarter the size of the cavern. Eight massive fridge/freezers stand along two walls, holding bags upon bags of blood and Shen essence. The opposite walls contain tables full of medical and what looks like chemistry equipment. Meili walks over to where there were a stack of charts and quickly peers at the one on the top. She gasps as the information on them shocks her to her very core!

The Shen in captivity were being drained of their blood and Shen essence for two reasons – the first is to obtain both life forces for both experimental and consumption reasons and the second is so that they can then replace them with demon essence in an effort to try and recreate the process her mother, Emma went through years before her birth! Having seen enough and knowing she has to get her father in here, she wills herself back into her body. She opens her eyes in time to duck as a sword sings its way towards her neck.

"Mei!" She turns and sweeps her attacker on his back before pulling out her dagger and stabbing him, making him explode all over her. She twists just in time to avoid the demon essence from landing on her front and face. Flipping up she looks around and assesses the situation they were in. Her father, husband and the rest of their company were fighting off what looked to be about two nests worth of male soldier Mothers; the odds were at least two to one. Thinking quickly, she returns her dagger to her boot and pulls out the Destroyer. She moves through the melee, her blood-thirsty sword slashing left and right almost on its own as it senses her permission for it to wreak havoc upon their enemies. She can feel the thing's giddiness at being in a fight twice within twenty-four hours, a rarity it treasures as it's not often allowed to kill or maim at its will. About twenty minutes after her return, they have finally managed to get rid of all the soldier Mothers who had come almost out of nowhere and attacked.

"Mei, are you ok?!" Her father asks as he beats his son-in-law in reaching her, his eyes, even the Inner one sweeping over her, checking to make sure she's ok.

"I'm fine but we have bigger fish to fry. Between you and me, we should be able to take down that barrier so that others can get in and we need to do it now! At the end of the tunnel is a cavern roughly the size of a football field and in that cavern are hundreds, almost close to a thousand small Shen being drained of both their blood and their Shen essence essence! Whoever is behind this, Daddy… they're trying to re-create what happened to Mommy before!" At her words, all her companions' eyes, most especially her father's and uncle's widen in horror. Without another word, the Dark Lord turns towards the entrance and holds his hand out to his daughter.

"While you were in there, I looked over this barrier and found a weak spot. One large burst of combined Chi and Shen from the both of us should bring this barrier down. Bai Hu, I need you to contact Er Lang, tell him what Mei had found and get everyone he can down here to help transport these Shen to the Celestial. Also, get Guan Yu to get the rest of the thirty-six down here, as well as the Heise and Jin units. The more protection we have the better. Get Simone and Michael in on what is happening and tell them they need to let His Celestial Majesty, Zhu Que and Qing Long know what is happening – they will need to organise a lot of healers up there as well as hold the fort. If you can get a hold of the Monkey King and Na Zha, get them down here as well – they will be useful." Bai Hu's eyes were already glossing over before the last words were out of Xuan Wu's mouth. Satisfied that he's covered all the bases, he turns with Meili – Niklaus, Elijah and Damon standing guard at their backs – and faces the barrier. As one, his energy joins with his daughter's and they use all that they have and give the weak spot he had found one big push. It was like glass shattering as the barrier first flexes then heaves in before blowing out again, a huge gust of wind accompanying the escaping energy – the three Shen threw up small energy barriers to help them and the three Originals stay put and not get blown away.

Once the dust settled, they all checked on each other. After assuring themselves that they were all fine, they turned back towards the cave entrance. With the barrier gone, the Originals can now hear the sound of as Meili had stated close to a thousand hearts beating as well as the beeps of the machines.

"We will have to wait until our reinforcements arrive. As much as I would like to be down there, the best and safest way for us to get everyone to safety is to wait." Xuan Wu advises. As hard as it was for Meili, she knew her father was right so wait they did. Thankfully they didn't have to wait long as within minutes, those they had called started arriving. With the arrival of Na Zha, the Monkey King and the thirty-six, the Dark Lord finally gave the order for them to move in. They quickly made their way down the tunnel, senses all in high alert as they followed Meili's lithe form. Gasps of horror and anger rang throughout the cavern when the rescuers came upon the cavern. They worked swiftly – freeing the Shen on the beds, feeding them small bits of energy that they hope would be enough to help get them through the stress of being carried back to the Celestial.

The others went all the way to the ante chamber, gathering all the equipment and information they deemed significant. Once everyone was done with their tasks – those in the rescue team started the process of sending up the incapacitated Shen in small groups. It was then that they discovered that those who had been injected with more than two bags of demon essence cannot be sent up because as soon as they hit the Celestial air they exploded – having too much demonic presence and not enough Shen to counter it to be allowed in. Meili took their unfortunate discoveries the hardest as majority of the Shen that didn't make it were those who were half-Shen. It was like seeing her sister or Michael exploding over and over again. Damon did his best to support his wife and help her get through the mission, vowing that as soon as they were back up home in their palace at the Celestial that if he had to, he would chain both Simone and Michael to their bed if it's what it would take to make her feel sane again.

When the last of their charges were finally sent up – Xuan Wu with Bai Hu and Na Zha started throwing Chi balls everywhere, effectively destroying everything that was left behind to ensure that this was not restarted up again. Once they were satisfied that nothing important or significant was left behind, they started carrying themselves back to the Celestial to assist with getting the injured Shen taken care of or looking through the mountain of data and equipment that they had taken.

"Damon, once we arrive there, take your wife home and get her to rest. That's an order." Xuan Wu commands. Damon lets out a quiet sigh of relief as he knew that his stubborn little princess would have insisted on helping even though she was in no condition to do so. But since her father handed down an order, he knew that she would have no choice but to comply.

"My Lord." He bows as he wraps his arms around his wife and carries her to their home. They land in their foyer and at once, servants come out and greet them.

"Shisun, please prepare a bath for us. Sunsun, have a meal made – nothing too heavy though. Your stubborn mistress used too much energy. Again." Damon orders sending both servants scurrying to do his bidding. With those two out of the way, he sweeps his almost fainting wife into his arms and makes his way to their private quarters.

"You are too good to me, zhangfu."^ Meili murmurs as she lays her head against his shoulders, her entire body aching from having expended that much energy to break the barrier and assist with transporting the injured up to the Celestial.

"No more than you are to me, amore."^ Damon responds as he enters their room. He doesn't stop until he reaches their bathroom and after dismissing Shisun, he places his exhausted wife onto her feet so that he could undress her. Once all her clothes were off, he then lifts her back into his arms and gently lowers her into the steaming pool. He quickly undresses and joins her, taking the time to carefully wash her delectable body of all the grime, dirt and demon essence. It takes him a few times draining and re-filling the pool before he is satisfied that she is completely clean and spends the last turn laying back and enjoying the warmth with her.

It wasn't long before she finally stirs enough to really take in that they were in their bathroom in the Celestial and that everything her mind was conjuring during her 'zone out' was very real. Meili's body starts to shake uncontrollably as the horrors and anguish witnessed and felt during their little reconnaissance-turned-rescue mission finally catches up with her. Damon simply holds his wife's body close to his, rocking her gently as she cries her big heart out onto his shoulder. When her crying fit is over, Damon stands, Meili's body cradled against his in a bridal hold, and gets out of the pool. He makes his way out of their bathroom and into their room, not stopping until he reaches their bed, leaving wet tracks across the tiles. He sits her down at the edge before hurrying back and grabbing the heated towels off the warming rack. He dries both of them up before he scoots her further up their bed until his back is against the bed head while his wife is cradled on his lap.

It was a long while before she resurfaces again and when she does, Meili turns in her Damon's arms and kisses him for all she's worth, pouring all the love and every other emotion she feels for her husband in the kiss. Always ready for her, Damon responds immediately, eagerly even, his craving for his wife never waning, in fact, over the years, have actually grown exponentially. Soon they are both lost in the throes of passion, Damon reacting to Meili's silent plea to make her forget everything except him, except their love and as always, he complies as he never wants his Dark Princess to ever have any reason to doubt, any reason to question the depth of his feelings for her, that her very happiness is his happiness.

Hours later, Damon is once again seated, leaning back onto their bedhead, one arm behind his head while his other hand is gently carding its fingers through his beloved's luscious locks as she lay sated and sleeping with her head pillowed on his thighs, her arms wrapped tightly around him as if even in her sleep she feared letting him go. He uses the time to think about what's happened and what it all means. Finally, the time for his Meili's justice has come and he was at last going to be able to punish those who had hurt his princess. He also takes the time to think about what they had discovered in Fuyang, he hasn't forgotten the tales his wife and his family-in-law had recounted to him and his family; the horror they went through when the Dark Lady Emma was experimented on in the same way. It was during this time that she had lost her and Xuan Wu's first child, the demons who had captured her had drained her far too much of her Shen, not leaving enough to sustain the child and when they began to transfuse the demon essence in, she ended up losing it as the demon essence reacted badly with the child's presence, literally melting the babe in her womb. Though she eventually did recover, all feared that another child of the Dark Northern Heavens to be born would not come to be. But fate it seemed had plans as two years after the incident, Lady Emma became pregnant with Meili. The pregnancy was not without its complications but nothing that wasn't easily handled until the day she went into labour. As the birthing commenced, a great commotion occurred over at the Leifeng Pagoda – a large storm suddenly blew in, so powerful that it started to cause the pagoda to topple. A flash of lightning hitting the roof just as the Dark Northern Mountains' Second Princess was born.

* * *

 **A/N: Translations marked (^) below**

 **^Zhangfu – Google Translate from Chinese (Simplified): husband**

 **^Amore – Google Translate from Italian: love**


	5. Chapter Four

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing - all the recognisable characters and places belong to their respective owners, I'm merely borrowing them to play with. Any translations and author notes will be at the end of each chapter.**

 **All mistakes are my own - I don't have a beta.**

* * *

Many waited for the return of the White Snake who was the Dark Emperor Xuan Wu's daughter. A long time ago, Xiaoqing, the White Snake was the Dark Emperor's first and only daughter. She was the very first, First Princess of the Dark Northern Mountains. She fell in love with a human and wanted to be with him and so the Dark Lord allowed her, only eliciting the promise that she was never to reveal her true nature to him as during those times, humans did not have very high opinions of snakes or Shen. They were hunted down and killed as the Buddhist monks had had them convinced that snakes were evil, most especially snake Shen.

A high-ranking Buddhist monk was passing through and realised what Xiaoqing was and thought her evil as he was raised and taught to believe. He exposed her to her husband by feeding her something that made her lose control and she took the lives of many innocent humans. By the time the Dark Lord had learned of all this, it was too late, she had broken the laws of the Heavens and he was powerless to help her. As punishment, she was locked away in a tower with no doors or windows that they later named Leifeng Pagoda, only to be released should it fall – given its construction and location in the Celestial; the thought of 'never' crossed many a mind.

With the fall of the pagoda, they had anticipated her return and was of course disappointed when she didn't show up. For months, they though that perhaps she had decided to stay as far away from them as possible, which was understandable given the circumstances. Xuan Wu was heartbroken. Time however passed quickly and it wasn't until Meili's return that they discovered the reason for Xiaoqing's non-appearance. To distract her as well as help her heal, Xuan Wu had begun training his youngest child in the Arts. It was there they discovered her affinity for it; she was her father's daughter in every sense, a prodigy. It took her no more than a year to get to the same level as her mother and sister and only three years after that to become Worthy of being raised. On her twenty-second birthday, the Jade Emperor presented her with the elixir and no more than two weeks after being raised, she had managed to master changing into both her Celestial and True Forms. Her Celestial Form was that of a young warrior maiden with red and gold armour and a flowing pale red cloak sitting at two and a half meters tall – reddish-brown hair so dark it was almost black, green-gold eyes and very pale skin. However, it was her True Form that caused major commotion and answered many questions.

The then Second Princess of the Dark Northern Mountain's True Form was that of a young woman with near translucent skin. She wore a golden crown with two black pearls the size lychees sitting atop of each other and matching earrings. Her blue-black hair was styled with a fringe covering her forehead, half-up with some of the sides tucked to form loops about her head pinned to the crown, two pieces over her shoulders reaching just past her rib cage and the rest which was down fell almost to her knees. Her features were as if one took her human looks and enhanced them manifold – she was the epitome of womanhood, a near Aphrodite incarnate. Her eyes were a swirling mix of red and green and she grew six metres in height. She was clothed in white and gold, her top was strapless and ended just above the top of her abdominals, leaving her stomach bare whilst her skirt had slits starting at her hips on both sides, exposing her legs which were covered by white stockings with wide golden garters and trim. About her shoulders lay another two pieces of cloth - the first is a narrow red almost transparent piece of cloth followed by a golden lined white robe which fell open all the way to the floor. And like father, like daughter; Meili seems to have also inherited his dual creatured nature for wrapped protectively around her humanoid form is a large white anaconda snake spanning at least 50 metres in length with crimson red eyes. The question to Xiaoqing's whereabouts were answered – she had been reborn in her youngest sibling, Meili.

* * *

Two days later finds Damon making his way towards his father-in-law's palace which is located a good ten minutes away from the home he shares with his wife. He strides through the main foyer and is greeted by Gold, also known as the Golden Boy, the Dark Emperor's Stone Shen secretary.

"My Prince, it is good to see you well. How is Her Highness?" Gold queries as he reaches out to assist the prince consort into his courtly robes.

"She's well, thank you Gold. She's currently over at the Western Palace with Simone going over all the preparations for her and Michael's wedding." He replies as he takes the folder containing the information about the day's court sessions from him.

"Ah yes, everyone is so very excited! The last Royal wedding we had was yours, my lord and that was almost a hundred years ago!" Gold hums as he escorts Damon into the throne room. "His Royal Highness, Prince Consort Damon." He announces, saluting low as the Original Son steps through. Rustling of cloths fill the air as all present except for the Dark Lord bow low as he walks past. Damon makes his way all the way up the small raised platform. He takes his seat next to his father-in-law who then signals for court to start.

* * *

"I can't believe that in only ten days you'll be getting married!" Eve hums as she and Meili flit around Simone putting the last touches on her wedding regalia. Simone runs her hand over the red embroidered silk that had been worn by both her chosen mother, Emma and her sister. Normally, the oldest female in the family marries first but in order for Meili to have secured her hold on the throne she inherited from the Dark Lady Emma in the Western Heavens, she had to be married. Well that and because Damon was too impatient to wait to make Meili his in every way.

" _Only_ ten days?!" Simone huffs as she tries her hardest to stay still. Having waited as long as she and Michael did before everything settled down enough and the perfect auspicious day to come for them to be wed, she was eager to get this all over and done with.

"Got to admire your strength sis, I don't think I could have waited as long as you did." Meili snickers as she gives the over-robe one last pat before straightening up.

"You didn't." Simone deadpans eliciting hilarity from all present when they caught sight Meili's pink cheeks.

"What's actually surprising is that they don't have a hundred children yet!" Nancy, Bai Hu's ninety-seventh wife and acting Senior Lady of the Western Palace, chortles as she holds out her hand to assist Simone off the small platform she was standing on that allowed them to be able to work on the dress and robes with ease.

"Because the Fates know that Damon is far too selfish to want to share our Meili's attention, even with his own children." Zhu Que throws in causing more laughter as they all knew the level of possessiveness the prince consort of the Dark Northern Mountains has over his beautiful wife.

"I would give him another century or two before he is ready." Lady Kwan Yin jokes as she helps Meili with removing the headdress from her sister's head.

"Are you ok with that though, Ah Mei?" Simone asks. All eyes turn to Meili who was gently and reverently placing the piece back into its cushioned home.

"With everything that's going on at the moment what with working out how to best deal with running the Western Heavens as well as helping Daddy out with the Mountain and let's not forget the multitude of loose ends we both have? I'm kind of glad that we haven't been blessed yet. Damon and I have talked it over and we both agreed that bringing a child while all of this is going on is asking for disaster. Daddy's on the same page – you all know very well what's happened what with both Simone and my births and all the trouble that came along because we were unprepared. I want to be able to **really** spend time with our child or children, be there for them through everything and that they have my undivided attention. Damon wants the same thing. We both feel that we should only even think about having a child when we're both on the same page; it'd be a disaster if we weren't." Meili replies, her attention still the head piece and so she missed the surprised expressions of her companions.

"Wow you guys really thought this through, didn't you?" Alicia, Qing Long's daughter and First Princess of the Eastern Sea comments. Meili looks up and smiles at her.

"Yes, we did. We **have** been married for nearly a hundred years now, of course the subject of children was going to come up. It was actually something we talked about even before we got married. Damon had thought he wouldn't be able to actually produce children due to him being a traditional vampire until both our fathers pointed out to him that the Originals can't really be classified as the undead because they didn't have to die to transition. And even if the shoe was on the other foot, them being raised by the Jade Emperor has taken care of that. Papa Eli also pointed out that if Daddy could have a child at his age, as innumerable as it is, there's obviously no time limit for us and that we should only do so when we're ready." Stunned silence reigns once again before it was broken by Simone.

"But in the meantime, practicing makes perfect, right?" She teases her younger sister whose blushes have all the other females present to join in on the teasing.

"That man doesn't need to practice!" Meili's bold statement causes peals and peals of loud laughter from her audience – there wasn't a female present in the room who hadn't, to Meili's never-ending embarrassment, caught them two in an amourous embrace or another. Damon, in both Celestial and Earthly Planes, is very well known to be completely and totally head-over-heels (or dick, circumstance depending) in love and of course, lust with his wife and all know that he has little to no control over himself (nor does he bother to exercise any) whenever he's in her vicinity which is pretty much almost all the time as there was very little that the couple didn't do together.

* * *

"Damon!" The Original Son turns his head before stopping and waiting for his uncles who have hailed him.

"Uncle Nik, Uncle Kol. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" He drawls as he starts walking again after his relatives have caught up. They both step in with him.

"Well, Mick's wedding is in less than two weeks and we were thinking about his bachelor party. With you being the best man and all, we wanted to know what you had planned?" Kol asked. The three of them languidly strolled down the road that led towards Damon and Meili's home.

"He wants it on the Earthly, as you both well know there aren't really any places for those sorts of things up here in the Celestial. Simone's only stipulation is that quote 'Michael's Ching better not end up in some random girl's or Heavens forbid a hooker's Chang or we will all be taking a piss sitting down and Michael will be sending us postcards from oblivion' unquote. And my Mei also added that again quote 'you mister, are responsible for all of them and I will hold you to it, any incident requiring compulsion or Shen interference will result in you sleeping in our quarters in the Jade Emperor's Palace **alone** and the rest of your cohorts will be sent to Hell as Uncle Yanlou's bitches for a week' unquote. Reading between the lines, we can pretty much do anything we want as long as I or Michael don't end up slinging our schlong at any girl and you lot don't go into Berserk mode. Oh, and that we all keep Uncle Bai Hu in check." All three of them recalling the last time they all got in trouble with the girls which resulted in a week spent in Qing Long's palace under the Jade Emperor's orders to following San Long's orders. Niklaus shudders while Kol pales at the memory.

"Do you have any idea what the girls are planning?" Niklaus asks.

"They're going down as well. During the day, I think they're all just going to get pampered up and probably some shopping, Mei's still trying to work out what to do for the evening. Simone says she doesn't really mind as long as there's alcohol and music." Damon replies as he strides up the stairs of their mansion with his uncles in tow. All three walk through as the doors opened, pausing to allow the servants to divest them of their jackets. Kol and Niklaus then follow their nephew further into his home, making their way into the large spacious area that serves as their living-slash-entertainment area. They slow their steps as they spot their niece-in-law lounging on the daybed, a pile of folders and books scattered across the coffee table while she has another sitting on her lap. Both Originals watch as Damon greets his wife enthusiastically, a sight they can never get enough of as its proof of his happiness which is their happiness.

"Keep it M rated you two, uncles present." Kol teases when their kiss gets a little heated and Damon's hand starts crawling its way up Meili's back, under her top. Niklaus laughs as they made their way over, leaning down to plant kisses on her cheek in greeting.

"I have a feeling that this is more than just a social visit." Meili greets them before her eyes glaze up. The next second their housekeeper Shisun appears with a tray of her uncle-in-laws' favoured drinks balance on one hand and holding a pot of tea with the other.

"My dear we are always eager to be in your lovely presence." Niklaus croons as he accepts his glass of bourbon before sitting down on the sofa on the opposite side of the table. His family lets out huffs of disbelief. "I take offense in your behaviour!"

"Uncle Nik… that just stank. Really stank." Meili deadpans as she hands out the tumblers to her husband and other uncle-in-law. "Now what do you want?" Damon chuckles into his glass as he takes a sip before settling his head atop the file on his wife's lap. Meili tuts before snapping her fingers and making the files disappear knowing that with these two around she was very unlikely to get any work done. Happy with his wife's action, Damon borrows his head further into her lap while laying the rest of himself up onto the body of the daybed that Meili was lounging on. Kol sprawls himself on the love-seat facing the both, his long legs dangling over one arm.

"We were actually just wondering if we could offer our beloved nephew any assistance with Michael's bachelor party. When he stated yours and Simone's stipulations and your own plans for the day, my brilliant mind came up with the perfect idea. Would you like to hear it?" Niklaus teases as he takes another sip of his alcohol.

"It's not going to be as asinine as your idiotic adoption of that poor excuse for a vampire, is it?" Meili barbs, her displeasure at his continued existence lacing her tone. While Meili is normally open-hearted about a lot things she is fiercely loyal and extremely protective of especially those she considers family and Niklaus' adopted son's actions? Forcing Niklaus and Rebekah to grieve over his supposed true death and carry the guilt of having caused it because of their father, all in an effort to set in motion a plan steal New Orleans from the Mikaelsons and appoint himself as its ruler? To state that she _**hates**_ the vampire is the understatement of the millennia! Nothing short of sending him to go through all ten courts of Hell hundreds of lifetimes over and having her Uncle Dushi* pay special attention when it's his turn to torture the ungrateful SOB would suffice to satiate her ire, for a little while.

"Little Dove, I was actually going to propose a joint celebration…" The Original Hybrid hums, his brow raising. The Crown Princess-to-be raises hers in turn as she catches his hints.

"Have I told you lately Uncle Nik that you just might be my favourite uncle-in-law?" Meili trills at the thought of being able to finally make that though not urgent but most certainly much needed trip to both Virginia and New Orleans and tying up her husband and his family's loose ends.

"Now, now Poppet. Let us not be too hasty with awarding him that title just yet. What exactly is it that he is suggesting that has you wriggling like a puppy?" Kol questions.

"Dear Uncle Nik is suggesting a hunt, Uncle Kol." The young princess dreamily sighs. Damon laughs at his beloved's antics already having caught onto his uncle's suggestion.

"Pop-pet." The younger uncle draws out as he sits up, still confused. Though healthy, the competition between himself and his older brothers to be the favourite uncle-in-law of Meili is fierce and something that the whole of the Celestial from both sides find highly amusing. They have even taken on bets on who will win – the clear front runners of course being Niklaus and Kol – they hadn't allowed Elijah into the competition, knowing he would definitely have won no competition necessary; not to mention it wasn't really appropriate seeing as he's her father-in-law.

"Simply put brother mine, I am suggesting a joint hunting venture with our loose ends as prey." The elder points out, his fangs glinting as he smiles widely at his youngest brother. The other let out their own dark chuckles as they watch Kol finally catch onto their plans. His saccharine grin matching his older brother's.

* * *

"Now sweetheart, I believe that we will need to exact a promise from you not to hog all the fun. Remember, this is supposed to be a celebration for your sister's upcoming nuptials." Elijah teased his daughter-in-law as they took a walk around the extensive garden that Damon has created for her behind their home. Not a cent was spared and every aspect of the garden was personally handled by Damon himself, a sanctuary he created for his lovely bride.

"Papa Eli, I solemnly swear that I will be up to no good." She giggles from under his arm.

"That is not what I asked, my lovely daughter. Do you promise to share the fun with the rest of us or are we going to have to ask Jon to hold you back again?" Meili pouts, turning her large emerald green eyes up on her father-in-law, their bejewelled depths shiny. "You know that look does not work on me, sweetheart. Now do I have your word?" The young princess sighs, it was a slim to none chance that her antics would have worked, her father-in-law was the only male in her family that was immune to it, something that her poor husband did not inherit and fortunately for her, her own father never developed, thank the Heavens.

"Very well but only on the condition that I get the coup de grace with those doppel-sluts." She bargains. Her father-in-law chuckles at her chosen nicknames for the females that have been the banes of his son's entire existence, shaking his head as he turns them around starts heading back towards the house.

"I expect nothing less, my dear. We would do you a great disservice and disrespect if we did not allow you to have the final say on the pests that are buzzing around your husband. And on that note…" He started and was cut off by Meili.

"Oh you didn't think I wouldn't pick up on it, did you Papa? I would not make a very good Crown Princess if I didn't, now would I?" She smirks at him as they climbed up and stepped through the French doors and into her living area. "Worry not, I shall deal with it and her when the time comes. She has another thing coming if she thinks she has even the most remote of chances. The Petrovas would have had a better chance than her, at least they're the same species. I was thinking of letting them _stew_ for a while longer. What do you think, oh beloved father-in-law of mine?" Her green eyes were wide and dancing with unabashed mischief, her smile tugged at his heart as he wished nothing more than to continue to see that glowing happy look upon her beautiful face.

"Absolutely deliciously, my dear. Absolutely delicious."

* * *

"So, your father is currently working to extract a promise from Mei that she will not hog all the fun during our little hunt." Xuan Wu states as he reads one of the numerous reports Gold keeps presenting him with. He takes a quick glance out of the corner of his eye at his son-in-law who was similarly preoccupied. They were both sitting in his office discussing the cases they presided over in order to draw a fair and just judgement over them.

"Well, if there is anyone who can get her to agree to it, it would be him, the rest of us poor saps are slaves to those puppy dog eyes of hers. But let us cut the bull Daddy X, we have known each other far too long now; a good chunk of it as family for you to be beating around the bush. If you are asking me to hold back for when we finally have our showdown with the disco balls, you will have to give me an order because I do not think I will be able to." Damon answers as he flips through the file he's holding. "It is not the same thing; the little shits in New Orleans and Mystic Falls are nothing compared to _the Cullens_." He sneers the name. Xuan Wu knows that the situation is different but he did have to try, the whole family wants in on this one and they had all individually come and asked Xuan Wu to speak with Damon about it.

"Not necessarily hold back per se, more like leave some for the rest of us?" One brow raises in question.

"Eddie boy is mine, I could not give two shits about the rest." Damon concedes barely holding back his snarl at the thought of the yellow-bellied piss eyed SOB who dared to hurt his princess.

"I am sure you are already aware that my daughter has already called dibs on the barbie debutante…" The Dark Lord hums. It was Damon's turn to raise a brow. "It seems like she is someone from your past?"

"Not in the way that you are inferring. We had a little run-in with her back when she was still human around the 1930s in Rochester, New York. She was the town's little darling and as such had expected that all of us would fall in line along with the rest of the mutts she had corralled. She took exception when we did not and actually started a smear campaign on the whole family. We ignored it, the townspeople not so much and the rose – pun completely intended – coloured glasses she had pulled over their eyes had started to crack." Both of them snort at the audacity of the barbie-like Cold One.

"Did you inform Meili of this little tidbit?" He asks. Damon gives his father-in-law a look.

"Of course, I did, after the fact though as I really did not put two and two together until I saw the vapid little chit. It is not as if I _knew_ that she was turned, that Carlisle fellow was not in town when we were there. Though I do not understand what was going through his mind when he did, who would want to have to deal with the likes of **her** for eternity?! They would have to be extremely masochistic." Damon ranted while shuddering. "Besides, keeping that kind of thing from my wife is a guaranteed one-way ticket to sleeping on my couch and that, Daddy X dearest as you know is a very big no-no for me."

* * *

The rest of the week flies by and Niklaus' proposal for the joint celebration was eagerly and enthusiastically welcomed by all. The Mikaelson males barring Damon and Elijah had travelled back to the Earthly to make all the necessary arrangements; it's not like they could make phone calls while on the Celestial. Not to mention that the Shen collectively have never had any need or cause to have a base of operations in Mystic Falls, it's not exactly the hub-bub of Virginia and as for Louisiana, the Shen had more vested interests in Baton Rouge than New Orleans; despite the city's popularity with the supernatural crowd. In consideration of both, they all decided that it was best to have the Originals take up the task of arranging accommodation and transportation for their little jaunt.

They called their caretakers in both cities, informing them of their visits and putting forward their requests – how many were in their party and all paraphernalia they would need during their stay. They also stressed that their arrival be 'kept secret' – of course their employees knew what that truly meant and so subtly and discretely spread the word of their masters' impending arrival.

Everything was set, they would carry themselves to Mystic Falls first the following Thursday, depending on how well their plan falls through, they expect to be leaving Virginia and arriving at New Orleans on the Monday after. In New Orleans, they plan on staying no later than Thursday whether or not the plan is completed. They deduced that should either not go as they are anticipating, they can always come back later after the wedding to finish the job.

* * *

In Mystic Falls, the workers were scurrying to air out rooms and to purchase supplies and food to feed the large party. The nosy noses and prickling ears of this supernaturally inundated town perked up at the furore caused by the Mikaelson employees and it wasn't long before the rumours that the family may possibly be making a visit – whether it's a short or permanent one, no one knows for sure – were circulating all over town and reaching the ears of the Petrova doppelgangers*; both of them having the same thoughts.

 _This time, Damon Salvatore, you will be mine!_

* * *

In French Quarter of New Orleans, Davina Claire, a powerful New Orleans witch who Marcel Gerard* had rescued from the infamous annual Harvest* bolted upright, awoken by a vision dream. She quickly scrambled out of bed and ran straight for her benefactor's bedroom, knocking insistently on the door.

"What's the matter?" He asked once he answered after hastily donning a pair of pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt.

Behind him on the bed lay Hayley Marshall, a New Orleans werewolf who Niklaus previously had a one-night stand with during their stay in Mystic Falls. Upon her return to the French Quarter, she ended up running into Elijah who with Niklaus was attempting to take back their home and their city. She fell love at first sight with him and became upset that he didn't seem to reciprocate. In an effort to try and make him jealous, she revealed her connection to Niklaus and boldly stated that she was pregnant with his child (which was a lie). Seeing an opportunity, Celeste, a New Orleans witch who had also fallen in love with Elijah despite his efforts to discourage her, teamed up with Hayley and cast a spell on a pillow which when Hayley placed on her skin would make it seem like she was really actually pregnant. Little did either know that having been raised as a true Immortal (a little fact that neither they nor Marcel or Davina was ever privy too) they gained the ability to be able to detect traces of magic and so knew from day one that the pregnancy was a sham.

"The Originals." Davina panted, her fear rising to levels where both Marcel and Hayley could almost taste it in the air.

"What about them, Dav?" Marcel urged, his slow beating heart speeding up, his gut already knowing her answer.

"They're coming."

* * *

 **A/N: Author notes marked (*) below**

 ***Dushi Huang is the Eighth Court of Hell's King – his court deals mainly with those who cheat or harm or cause harm to others, most especially family for their own gain. Punishments usually include body dismemberment and disembowelment.**

 ***They are women born in the Petrova family every half a century or so since almost the beginning of time itself starting with Amara, the handmaiden of Qetsiyah who was the world's First Witch. Amara fell in love with Qetsiyah's fiancée, Silas the First Warlock and he returned that love. They ran away together, Qetsiyah in her anger when she caught them turned Amara into the Anchor for the Other Side, never to know the peace of moving on after death; the side effect was turning her immortal and thus creating her doppelgangers who would appear every five hundred years, because of Amara's heritage as a Traveller, her bloodline is imbued with powerful magic and so added a bonus punishment that her doppelgangers would be forever hunted to be used as sacrifices because of the magic in their blood. Qetsiyah then stripped Silas of his powers, turning him into a normal human before killing him and thus ensuring that he does not pass through to the Other Side in his death and so forever separating the lovers.**

 ***Marcellus 'Marcel' Gerard – was the bastard child of the Governor of Louisiana and a female slave. He was rescued by Niklaus rescued as a child and was later transitioned into a vampire in order to serve in helping to protect Niklaus' nephew, Damon from Mikael. Marcel became jealous – despite Niklaus' adoption of him it was clear to him who the Original Hybrid truly considered to be his true heir, despite have been told of this as soon as he could understand and later on again reminded when Niklaus decided to transition him. He concocted a plan where he let Mikael know the whereabouts of his children in exchange for Mikael leaving him alone and to only return to Louisiana if the Mikaelsons did; he had made this deal thinking that with the trap he set, the Originals stood no chance of being able to escape their vengeful patriarch. Of course, that backfired and they were able to escape, so in order to take control of the city in their absence, Marcel faked his death.**

 ***New Orleans Annual Harvest is a ritual that the wiccans who were born on the land have to perform every year in order to appease the spirits who blessed their bloodlines with powers. The youngest member of each of the four main bloodlines have to be sacrificed in a ritual where the elder members are chanting a spell while each person is killed by having their throat slit. Once the last one dies, the ritual then calls for the spirits to come and each of the sacrifices are revived again but it's not a guarantee that the soul that inhabits the body is the same one who left it. This is the payment that the spirits have demanded in return for their powers to be stronger – though they are only strong whilst in the city where they can tap into their ancestors' residual powers; outside of the city, their powers are the same as any normal wiccan.**


	6. Chapter Five

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing - all the recognisable characters and places belong to their respective owners, I'm merely borrowing them to play with. Any translations and author notes will be at the end of each chapter.**

 **All mistakes are my own - I don't have a beta.**

* * *

Elena Gilbert* sat with her boyfriend Stefan Avery*, adopted brother/cousin, Jeremy and her friends, Bonnie Bennett, Tyler Crowley and Caroline Forbes in a booth at the Mystic Grill. They were all attending the nearby Whitmore College, going about their business of trying to be normal college students; despite the fact that Bonnie is a witch, Tyler is a werewolf, Jeremy is a Hunter and Elena, Stefan and Caroline are traditional vampires. Aside from the supernatural ties, all six of them were also members of the Mystic Falls' Founding Families and so were considered the elite clique in their school – all their peers wanted to either be them or be with them.

"So, you guys heard, right?" Tyler mumbles around his burger. His ex-girlfriend scoffs as she absentmindedly turns the page of the magazine she was skimming.

"Heard what?" Jeremy asks. Elena frowns, not happy that he said anything as she was of the opinion that he should not be involving himself in anything and should just listen to everything she tells him to do.

"That the Mikaelsons were coming back to town." The werewolf casually drops, causing Elena to almost choke on her drink. Elena's heart starts beating faster and it was taking all of her will to urge it to calm down – her companions would no doubt hear it and she doesn't want them to know her secret. Especially Stefan.

"All of them? Is it permanent?" Bonnie questioned, her mind already flying off trying to remember spells and whatnot she had read in her family's Grimoire to help defend her and her friends.

"As far as I heard from Mum, it seems to be temporary, only a few days. Something about a joint celebration of sorts." Tyler shrugs before shoving the rest of his burger in his mouth. All of his friends quiet for a few moments, each taking in what he had just said, each have their own agenda.

Elena was of course obviously thinking about the Original Son, Damon Salvatore. _Her soulmate._ The fleeting thought of him being supposedly married makes her huff internally, as if that hunk of sex personified could be tied down by anyone, though the thought is appealing when applied to her.

Caroline was also thinking about bagging a Mikaelson, any would do truly, though she has her eyes set on the Original hybrid. She must have a thing for wolves she thinks to herself as she flicks a glance at Tyler, her ex-boyfriend. _I broke up with Tyler for him, I'm sure he'll appreciate my effort._

Stefan on the other hand is also thinking about Damon though he's thinking of ways how to prevent or end the Original Son as Elena had him convinced that Damon has a _thing_ for her. He is also thinking about Rebekah and how he would break it to her that he no longer holds any affection for the blonde as it now all belongs to his Elena. Not once did it cross his mind how conceited his thoughts sounded, he was very much Elena's equal in how high they regarded themselves.

The only ones of the group who were not thinking of the Original family with any ulterior motives were Tyler and Jeremy, save for the passing thought of needing to protect themselves from them, nothing else crosses their minds.

Little did they know that whether or not they had any motives, bad or good, they were all going to feel the wrath of the Mikaelsons, one wife most in particular.

* * *

"I swear by all the Heavens Kol Mikaelson if you do not…" Meili started shouting as she bounced on the balls of her feet attempting without success to retrieve her shoes back from her childish uncle-in-law. The rest of the family couldn't stop themselves from laughing at the sight of the two. A frustrated grunt passes through Meili's lips before she lifts herself up using her Chi and snatches her precious heels from him.

"Hey! No using non-normal supernatural abilities!" Kol protests as he tries but fails to chase after his giggling five foot two niece-in-law. She stops when she reaches her husband's side and using him for balance, slips on her prized possessions.

"If you two are finished playing?" Xuan Wu interjects, raising brows at each member. A chuckle escapes from Kol before he bows his assent whilst his daughter rolls her eyes but nods just the same. "Well then, I say we go out and paint the town… black." His words are met with much ribald comments, laughter and cheers as they all follow him out the door and into the waiting vehicles parked on the driveway.

* * *

The sound of multiple tires screeching has those with enhanced senses looking up and out through the windows. Jaws drop as one by one the Mikaelsons along with thirteen other individuals stepped out of the SUVs and gathered in front of the town's most popular bar/restaurant. The residents of the sleepy little town couldn't believe the collection of near inhuman beauty that lay before them – most especially on the two individuals in the middle; a tall obviously Chinese descent man with long blue-black hair braided almost all the way down to his knees and a young Euro-Asian mixed stunning beauty whose thigh-length mahogany locks gleamed almost red under the setting sun. They all watch in awe and surprise as the powerful Original family relax around this new group, trading what looks to be jokes and comradery. Elena internally seethes as she watches Damon wrap his arm around the mixed-race beauty, his baby blues shining bright with love and adoration.

The bell above the door tinkles as they entered; Elijah, Damon, the braided haired man, the beauty and Niklaus making their way to the bar while the rest bee-lined for the large group of free tables at the back.

" _A couple of bottles each of Jack, Patron and Chivas per favore, along with twenty glasses, two jugs of Heineken and four jugs of Coke."_ Damon orders as he traps the beauty between him and the bar while the other three position themselves around the couple. The bartender nods his head and goes to prepare their order. _"And can we get double orders of everything on the entrée menu, fifteen burgers, three grilled salmons and two medium rare steaks with all the sides."_ The cashier rings up the whole lot and the Mystic Falls gang watches as the Chinese man and Elijah then get into a friendly argument on who will settle the bill. Niklaus clicks his tongue at the two as he slaps his card into the cashier's hand, effectively ending the discussion. Once he hands back the slip he had to sign, the cashier hands over his card and two tall silver stands with numbers on top and tells them that the wait staff will bring out their orders to their tables. With a nod, the group at the bar leave and navigate their way through the crowd to where the rest of their party waited.

" _Not bad for a Thursday crowd, D."_ A tall, well-built young man with silver hair comments to Damon as he looks over the crowd before them. Again, Elena had to control herself and almost draw blood with her nails as she watches the love of her life arranging the beauty onto his lap after taking a seat.

" _It'll be even more so on the weekend. You'll see."_ Damon taunts as one of his hands cards its way through the female's tresses while the other keeps a tight hold across her stomach as if he feared her being snatched from his grasp.

 _"Nice! The more the merrier I reckon, want to make sure every Tom, Dick, Harry and Lee know that **my** Simone is very much taken! Not to mention you owe us bro! We took you around to all our 'childhood haunts' only fair you return the favour!" _ The young man replies his own hands reaching out and pulling a tawny haired female onto his own lap and planting a kiss on her temple. _"Right, babe?"_ The female they deduced to be Simone his fiancée nods her head before returning the gesture to his cheek.

" _PDAs should be kept to a minimum sugary level. Not all of us present have our HEAs!"_ Kol teases. Both females turn and very maturely stick their tongues out at the youngest Mikaelson brother eliciting laughter from their whole group.

Their orders arrive and the gang watch on as the large party trade taunts, jokes and the usual hubbub over the alcohol and food. The feeling emanating from them was like that of one large extended family. As the alcohol flows, freely, their nature of their talks turn more and more towards the risqué – with everyone contributing to passing on _advice_ for the engaged couple. The gang's eyebrows almost disappeared into their hairlines most especially when they learn that the other silver haired male and the long-haired Chinese man were the fathers of said couple.

" _Ugh! Daddy TMI!"_ The beauty on Damon's lap groans earning her snickers and chuckles from the rest of the group. The title drop draws the attention of the gang to her and the bride-to-be and they note the familiar features stamped on both young women, clearly marking them as related, in this case, sisters.

" _Come now, princess it's not as if you did not hear the same things from my lips during your own pre-wedding celebrations?"_ The man teases his daughter. Laughter spills out from their party as they all watch the young woman's perfect alabaster cheeks flush pink. Damon chuckles as he pulls her left hand to his lips and kisses the rings sitting on her left ring finger. It was all Elena could do not to jump from her seat and yell the building down around them when she sees the obvious engagement and wedding rings adorning them.

" _Bleh, don't remind me! No amount of time passing will be enough to forget the words that came out of **your** mouth that day!"_ Her response drew the group's comments and whatnot to turn to her and Damon, each word was like a razor-sharp dagger to Elena's heart.

" _I think we had better stop for now, we need to save the bride-to-be and her matron-of-honour's blushes for tomorrow."_ Elijah points out as said females' cheeks have been steadily turning red over the taunts and teases that were thrown their way. Laughter rings out through the group before they turn to other inane topics. Soon enough the pool tables and the music draw the youngest members in the group and with Damon and his beauty in the lead, they made their way over the entertainment section of the bar. The affianced couple, Damon, the beauty, three other females and three other males descended on two of the pool tables closest to the jukebox in the corner.

One of the females, one with black hair and jade green eyes dances over to the jukebox and gets it going, the music garnering cheers of approval from the rest of her companions. Teams were formed and the gang watched as the younger group threw themselves into the game, a friendly rivalry presenting itself not long into it. The other female with the deep red hair grabs the beauty who stood at Damon's side and dragged her into the space of the makeshift dance floor, their fluid movements catching the rest of the establishment's patrons' attention. Soon enough other patrons join them, though they seem to be keeping some distance from the duo, as if in deference of their very obvious talents in the art of seductive movement.

They good-naturedly accepted invitations to dance and though they could see that he kept a steady eye on his proclaimed wife, Damon merely smiled indulgently at her antics, not once displaying any sign of jealously or possessiveness at the lust-filled looks she was getting from the male members of the crowd. Clearly, he trusted her implicitly, making Elena's already burning temper rage to an inferno at the realisation that their relationship was clearly too deep-rooted and well-founded to be shaken by the petty attentions of strangers.

* * *

The following day finds the town once again invaded by the Mikaelsons and their guests as they turned up en mass at the square. It was pure happenstance that they chose to visit during the town's annual celebration of its founding. The residents watched as the group join in the festivities, avidly and joyously watching the parade and the show, buying trinkets from the booths and trying their hand at the carnival games.

They could not help but watch the group – a lot of envy thrown their way, most especially towards Michael and Damon who showered their lady loves with attention and affection; notwithstanding the fact that said loves were stunningly gorgeous women. They escorted them about, paid for purchases with not even a negligent glance at the monies they handed over and participated in competitions and games to win their girls prizes or just for the pure reason of wishing to entertain them. Meili and Simone themselves were also the object of many a green-eyed stare, the most heated coming from Elena, Caroline and Bonnie. The trio couldn't stand the fact that for once, they were not the centre of their abysmal little town's attention.

The gang, or rather, the majority of it couldn't help themselves in monitoring them. Elena and Caroline ravenously drinking in the sights of the males, Damon and Niklaus most particularly, though their eyes do stray to the others almost as often. Simone also found herself to be catching the scorching end of Bonnie's gaze and she didn't have to look too hard into the witch's mind to see that Bonnie was finding herself attracted to Michael and was looking to very soon be following the crazy yellow brick road that her friends were already walking. They couldn't get enough of the bevy of inhuman male beauty that were displayed before them.

Carol Lockwood, Tyler's mother and the town's mayor called everyone's attention when the time for speeches and presentations approached. Most of the attendees turned towards the temporary stage, erected before the obelisk that stood as a reminder of their town's mystic origins. She began her speech by expressing her gratitude in everyone's attendance, extolling the efforts of the Council as well as everyone involved with the organisation of the day. She marketed the sponsors of the event and handed out awards and prizes for the various winners of several competitions that played out earlier.

She then invited everyone to attend the subsequent ball held at the Lockwood home which included the announcing of the Mystic Falls Courtiers and their Queen for the year. The gang nervously looked over at the Mikaelsons and their group, unnerved at the knowledge that Tyler's mother had unknowingly issued an open invite to all vampires within the vicinity to their home.

* * *

The ball was in full swing and the gang had soon forgotten their earlier worries in the face of the new faces in the crowd. They chatted with one and all amicably, deploying mannerisms ingrained into them from birth by their parents.

A collective hush falls upon the room and the gang turns to the source, jaws dropping, envy and jealousy burning within many of the females' chests at the sight of two ethereal beauties gracing the Lockwood home.

The female they now know as Simone looked like a fairy princess. Her gown was the colour of a cloudless sky, making the gold in her curls burnish brighter and her skin even fairer. It was right around her chest before falling in an empire-waist style, the fabric so light and airy it was almost transparent.

The other female whom Damon had been stuck to like glue since their arrival looked like a fierce warrior goddess in her burgundy red gown that clung to her curves like a second skin before giving way at her hips, the length varied in places, making it look as if it had been grasped and torn at. Her toned peaches and cream complexioned legs looked miles long in peep-toe stilettos. The colour of her gown made her emerald eyes pop open. The list in the room rising exponentially with every step she took as they made their way to greet the hostess.

"My goodness! You my dears are simply stunning!" Carol exclaimed as the party reached her. The men bowed their heads while the women returned her smiles.

"Thank you for inviting us, Mayor Lockwood." The beauty chimes, her bell-like voice ringing a haze of desire around those within range. The gang was effectively stunned to hear her cultured English accent.

"Carol, may I introduce my wife to you? Meili Donahoe Chen Salvatore. And this is her father, Jon Chen of Chen Corp and her older sister, Simone. And this is Tiger Bak of Bak Inc and his son, Michael who is Simone's fiancée." There was no mistaking the love and adoration Damon had for his wife when he was introducing her and it was very clear to all that his relationship with his in-laws was just as equally close.

"J-Jon Chen of Chen Corp?! And Tiger Bak?!" Carol stutters, shocked to the core that two of the world's most renowned tycoons were in her home, not to mention connected by marriage to the just as powerful and wealthy Mikaelsons.

"Oh! You've met before?" Damon asks excitedly. Carol shakes her head.

"No but there isn't anyone whose anyone worth their salt who hasn't heard of Chen Corp and Bak Inc and their respective owners. Such an honour indeed! The crème de la crème of the business world in our tiny little town. May I ask what brought about your visit?" She asks as she not so subtly flutters her lashes at the two in question.

"My older daughter, Simone and her fiancée had decided on a joint bachelor/bachelorette party and the Mikaelsons have very kindly offered to host the events in their properties here in the US. Despite our many trips to the West, we had never had the pleasure of getting to know the hometown of our extended family and we thought it fair that we finally do, especially considering they permanently moved into ours." Xuan Wu explains, his hand clapping affectionately upon Damon's shoulder.

"Are you both a little too young to be getting married already?" Caroline suddenly pipes in, rudely inserting herself into the conversation.

"Beg your pardon but who are you?" Simone queries with a raised bitch brow. Caroline stammers for a moment, taken a back that one, there were actually people who did not recognise her by sight and two that someone actually dared to be rude back to her!

"Oh, how rude of me! This is Caroline Forbes, she's Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes' only daughter and the year before last's Mystic Falls Queen. The young man next to her is Tyler Lockwood my son. Next to him is Jeremy Gilbert and just beyond him is Elena, his sister. They're the late Dr Grayson Gilbert and his wife, Miranda's children. The young lad next to her is Stefan Avery, Elena's boyfriend and if memory serves correctly, he's actually distantly connected to your family, Damon. And last but not the least is Bonnie Bennett. She, Caroline and Elena are thick as thieves. The six of them are the current generation of the Founding Families of Mystic Falls." Carol gushes out, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment with both her failing to make the introductions properly and for Caroline's rude behaviour.

"Oh, I see. To answer your question, Miss Forbes, no, I don't believe so seeing as I'm thirty-three and my fiancée is turning thirty-seven. If you wish to talk about marrying young, you would have had better luck with my _younger_ sister, seeing as they married first and she was barely twenty-two at the time and they are now celebrating their tenth anniversary." Simone smirked as once again their jaws dropped.

"Goodness! Whatever possessed you two?! It wasn't a gunshot wedding, was it?" Carol exclaimed, shocked that the young couple before her who barely looked older than her own son had been married for _ten years!_ Their company laughed, tickled pink at the fact that the two were certainly _physical_ enough that it did actually come as a surprise that they haven't yet had a whole platoon's worth of children by now.

"We did **have** to marry but not in the way that you are thinking, Mayor. I had to marry her because I found that I could not picture a future without her. I could not live with the thought of not having some kind of claim over her, a permanent one. My Mei as you can see is breathtakingly beautiful, I was already surprised as I was that someone had not yet snatched her up before." Damon replied though his eyes never left his wife's. "Luckily for me, she was very much single – of course I was not alone in noticing her and I did have to work for her attention and affection. She did not make it easy for me; she was immune to my charms, unfortunately. I was very much happy to have learned that her heart had not yet been won, so I knew I at least had a chance. And the truth of the matter is, when you know, you know, Mayor Lockwood and the moment I met my wife, I knew she was the one and I was not about to be a fool and let her go. I had to make her mine in every way possible." They smiled at each other before he leaned down and placed a heated peck on her luscious lips.

"Wo ai ni, zhangfu."^ Meili whispers against his lips, her eyes shining bright with her love for him.

"Come ti amo, amore."^ He breathes back before he slants his lips over hers again, telling her in more than words exactly how he feels.

"Oh my!" Carol giggles, fanning her hand in front of her face as she gets front row seats to the couple's steadily heating embrace.

"Do keep the PDAs to a minimum, parents are present after all." Niklaus drawls, effectively ending his nephew and niece-in-law's impromptu make-out session. Barely suppressed laughter erupts from both families when the couple reluctantly pull apart.

* * *

The Mystic Falls Queen and her Court were finally announced; the Originals and their guests finding it mildly amusing to see Caroline scowling at the smiling teen who waved from her make-shift throne. Food and drink were flowing freely and the Mikaelsons and the Shen have started to execute their plan. They started first with mingling with the crowd, showing quick and curious inducing hints at the gang that the Mikaelsons' guests were most certainly not human. The gang was hooked and they spent majority of the night trying and failing to subtly spy on the group.

The ladies were at a crossroads at what to feel whenever they spied the doppelganger glaring their; or rather to be more precise, Meili's way. Most especially when she was in her husband's arms – whether it was during a dance or when mingling and conversing with the other guests. In one hand, they found it entirely too funny whenever they saw her seething with barely restrained jealousy and then on the other hand, they wanted nothing more than to shoot energy balls at her (though in Simone's case, Yin her to oblivion) as it was very obvious that she was more than likely thinking murderous thoughts about Damon's wife.

The men were in a similar position though in their case they had more than one target. It didn't pass their notice that both Tyler and Jeremy were giving **all** their ladies the once over; in Tyler's case, he wasn't even trying to hide it! Michael was ready to send every metallic object in the party at the werewolf as he had more than once caught him eyeing his fiancée like she was the last bone on the planet. In the end, a direct order from _both_ his father **and** soon-to-be-father-in-law to stop him from stalking across the room and tearing the were's eyes and heart out right there and then.

The Mikaelson men had also had to control themselves as they spied Stefan more than once looking Rebekah's way. Of course, they were all aware of his infatuation, it had caused them numerous problems in the 1920s and was one of the reasons why they ended up in Rochester almost a decade later – after having Elijah call in a favour from the Jade Emperor. That was the time they had met Xuan Wu, Bai Hu and Na Zha for the first time as the three had come down to assist with dealing with Stefan. Xuan Wu and Bai Hu had dealt with erasing both from collective memory as well as the physical evidence behind Stefan's ten year killing spree done in the name of Rebekah.

Every girl he fed from and tore apart only to put back together again, thus earning him his serial killer moniker, The Ripper of Monterey, resembled the Mikaelson sister eerily. The letters he left behind with them for Rebekah were nasty and sweet all rolled into one – the girls were his 'presents for his future bride' and he explained that he was 'doing her a favour by getting rid of the competition', how no other woman should be able to take his attention away from her and he would often blame his poor victims for attempting to do so (even if he was the one who actually stalked them like the prey he saw them to be). The letters of course exclaimed of his profound and undying love for her and how he would do everything and anything for Rebekah – his transitioning was proof of that, proof of his readiness to spend eternity by her side.

Eventually, the Mikaelsons and Na Zha caught up with Stefan. With Kol and Finn holding him down while the others stood protectively over Rebekah, Na Zha then proceeded to alter his mind, removing his obsessive feelings towards her as well as the memories of the letters he wrote. He of course removed any memory of himself and what he had done as they thought it too dangerous a knowledge for him to know about at the time. He also placed in a compulsion to stay away from human blood; Stefan's punishment for all his actions, they wanted him to remain weak and not be able to gain any further powers. Na Zha made him think that his Ripper personality was tied to his supposed uncontrollable thirst for human blood. Before their departure, Xuan Wu also ensured that Na Zha's interference with Stefan's mind would never be discovered or undone – the last thing they wanted was Stefan to remember his obsession and his newly acquired information about Shen. They then sent him on his way with Kol sticking around long enough to see to it that he crossed Lexi's path and to make sure that she didn't detect anything amiss with Stefan or their own presence in the windy city.

The next phase was to lure the gang away from the ball. Damon though not happy with the circumstance reluctantly agrees to allow Meili to be the bait. It was clear that under the influence of Elena, the rest of the Founding Family scions were more focused on Damon's wife than anyone else in their party. So, with a clue here and a nudge there, the gang unwittingly follows the innocent faced Shen out into the woods behind Tyler's home, so intent they were on her and thinking of all the ways to do her harm that they had not realised just how far out they were led or that they were walking into a trap.

* * *

"Where the hell did she go?!" Elena hisses at her companions as they look around. They had stopped at the base of an extremely large tree in the woods – so large that it creates a small clearing on its own; its roots and branches keeping the other trees away. They split up into three pairs, each one taking a section around the tree, attempting to peer into the darkened forest, wisely never straying too far from the tree's trunk.

Suddenly they hear a sharp yelp, bringing Elena, Stefan, Caroline and Bonnie running towards the area that Tyler and Jeremy had been searching. They come to a halt when they see Tyler on the ground, clutching at his head, Jeremy was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Jeremy?!" Elena shrills, causing Tyler who was already reeling from the blow to his head to wince in pain.

"I don't know! One moment we were searching this spot, back-to-back then the next I felt _something_ shove my head against the trunk and I was out!" Tyler gingerly explains as he tries to keep his head from exploding. Everything sounded so loud right now, even the sound of their own heartbeats.

"JEREMY?! Jeremy where are you?!" Elena starts to scream as she frantically runs around the tree, idiotically shuffling through bushes as if her brother was hiding behind them.

"Missing something? Or rather, _someone?_ " An amused voice chuckled from behind her. She whirls around, the others at her side in a flash. Before them stood Damon's wife, though she was no longer wearing the dress she was wearing earlier – instead she was in a skin-tight red and black sleeveless v-necked jumpsuit that stopped mid-thigh, clinging from her shoulders to her hips was an ankle length dark red coat with a collar that stood high and stiff, almost like a protective piece that shielded her slender neck. She had on boots again in red and black that reached up to her thighs, ending a mere inch or so just below where her jumpsuit ended. Her dark locks were now loose and curling all the way to just below her rear, so shiny they almost reflected the light of the three-quarter moon. As she moved, the tresses slithered and bounced, almost as if it had a mind of its own. She was also leaning on some kind of staff spanning almost three metres high.

"What have you done with my brother?!" Elena demands as she stalks forward, her hand raising to attempt to slap the brunette in the face. She's stopped a few steps away from the object of her ire by an unseen force, which only furthers to fuel her rage.

"He is unharmed, for now." The beauty laughs, her mirth sounding like a hundred bells tripping merrily across the forest.

"What do you mean for now? And what gives you the right to threaten him?! Us?!" Bonnie seethes, her eyes blazing as she calls upon her magic. Her hands ignite and just as she was about to launch the flames at her target, they die out, the sudden action causing sharp and burning sensations to like up from her fingers to her elbow.

"I mean that for now, no harm will be bestowed upon the head of one Jeremy Gilbert, provided that he is intelligent and sensible enough to realise that retaliating after _we_ are done with you is detrimental to his own health and safety." Meili muses as she glides around the group, her tone though taunting held enough menace to alert the gang that she was serious. "As for my right? Well, you see I find you all very annoying – and I do not like being irritated, it does not do well for my temper. The fact that you had all deemed those I care for the most in this existence a threat merely because they are far more powerful and you are all too stupid not to pay better attention to the goings on in the secondary world that exists around you annoys me greatly." There was stunned silence from the gang as they realise that they're not so covert actions have been found out.

"They are a threat! They are a menace! An abomination! They shouldn't exist!" The witch shrieks, her words laced with pain as she tries again and again to call up the flames, only to be thwarted most painfully each time.

"Big words coming from the very species who created them in the first place! And do refrain from lumping the Originals in with these common parasites; you are merely making yourself look like an even bigger idiot than you already are!" Bonnie bristles at the insinuation.

"Just let us see Jeremy. To check for ourselves that he's alright." Stefan states slowly, as if speaking with a toddler who was throwing a tantrum. Meili smirks at him before snapping her fingers. The air around them stirs, wisps of white-like substances streaming in from every direction, collecting together right before the group – almost solidifying mid-air. Then the middle section seems to thin out and it takes another couple more seconds before the gang realises that they were looking at some sort of screen made of clouds!

On the screen they see can clearly see Jeremy on his knees, a gleeful looking Kol Mikaelson standing behind him, one hand keeping the twisted arms of the young Hunter in place behind his back.

"Jeremy!"

"Oh my God!"

"Let him go, you monster!"

A sharp whistle brings the cacophony of noises to a halt and they all turn their eyes back towards the young woman before them. Her face was impassive, her amused expression gone.

"As you can see he is still very much alive. Now, I am in a bit of a tight schedule, we do have a wedding to prepare for. Far more enjoyable exercise than having to deal with you lot." Meili hums as she casually leans against the trunk of the tree. It doesn't escape the gang's notice that the tree seems to be leaning back, the branches closest to her reaching out to her, its leaves almost caressing themselves against her skin. A small amount of apprehension and fear starts to creep in; with good reason. Recent experiences have taught them that creatures that Nature favours, especially the supernatural ones are the kind of beings that one would tend to tread around on carefully. Nature would always protect its own.

"What _do_ **you** want?" Caroline demands, her senses twitching as she can smell even her own fear permeating the air.

"My wants are simple; one – that both Petrova doppelgangers leave my husband, Damon alone. He is not nor has ever been interested in either one.

Two – the Bennett witch's power will be returned to its current state; you cannot control yourself, your little power boost will do more harm than good.

Three – you, Caroline will leave my uncle-in-law Niklaus alone. You are not for him, he is not for you and its quite sad actually that you would broke up and rejected your Fate-given soulmate for wealth, looks and power. How pathetic.

And lastly; we will be taking steps to ensure that all my wants stay in place and that you will never bother us again.

If you all agree to those terms – we will depart from this dismal town and we will never cross paths ever again!"

* * *

 **A/N: Translations marked (^) and author notes marked (*) below**

 ***Elena Gilbert – the forever 21-year-old third Petrova doppelganger turned traditional vampire. She was sired to Stefan when he transitioned her over but he released her shortly after as he is very much in love with her. She is also the current girlfriend of her sire, Stefan**

 ***Stefan Avery – descendant of Ylva Salvatore via her oldest brother and therefore a very distant relative to Damon, her son. He was turned as a traditional vampire at the age of 22 by Katerina Petrova and is the sire and current boyfriend of Elena Gilbert**

 **^Wo ai ni, zhangfu – Google Translate from Chinese (Simplified): I love you, husband**

 **^Come ti amo, amore – Google Translate from Italian: As I love you, love**


	7. Chapter Six

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing - all the recognisable characters and places belong to their respective owners, I'm merely borrowing them to play with. Any translations and author notes will be at the end of each chapter.**

 **All mistakes are my own - I don't have a beta.**

* * *

"And if we don't?!" Elena raises a brow in question. "There is only one of you and five of us. You're obviously not a human, but neither are we so I would say we have the advantage." She signals to Stefan who uses his vampire speed to lunge at Meili, with her and Caroline following microseconds after. The brunette simply stands there with her arms crossed and smirking. All three of them jerk as if they were struck with lightning, Tyler who had stepped in front of Bonnie to protect her frowned in confusion as all three of his friends suddenly drop to the ground, convulsing. Bonnie gasps as she watches as they struggle to get up, only to find themselves continually being re-pinned to the floor with every twitch they make.

"Are you a witch?!" She demands, her hands raising to try and cast a spell at the other woman, only to find it reflecting back on her **and** Tyler, dropping them as well to the floor in their knees from the pain. A dark laugh erupts from Meili, causing waves of fear to shiver down their spines. They all look up just in time to see her grow before their very eyes. She rose another half the size of her original self; her eyes glowing brighter, her hair lengthening, thickening, her features sharpening – there was certainly no mistaking now she was clearly not human. She simply looked too beautiful to be one! Her clothing morphed itself into an ankle length _cheongsam*_ in all black with red and gold embossing of snakes and Chinese symbols. The dress clung like a second skin in all the right places, the slit starting from mid-thigh. Her boots changed into a pair of flat ballet-slipper type shoes in dark red with black and gold swirls. They stared at her in awe and fear, it was clear that she is not what they originally anticipated she was and Elena couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe the woman might be able to take all of them on at once.

"I had hoped that it wouldn't come to this, that we would have been able to talk about this very civilly. But I can clearly see now that you would not be letting this go. You are far too obsessed with my husband. A man who I have been with for more than a hundred years and married to for close to **a hundred years!** Did you really think you stood a chance? How foolish of you, _vampire!_ " The gang struggled not to be affected by the sensual tone of Meili's voice in this form. Her entire being, from the top of her to the tips of her toes and her voice, even her smell was seduction given form.

"There seems to be a misunderstanding in your part Meili – you obviously do not know your husband well enough. **He's** the one who has a thing for **my** girl not the other way around." Stefan scoffs in defence of his girlfriend. The Shen princess looks at him and laughs, loudly, at him it seems.

"Oh! I know they say that love is blind, but you Mr Avery! You sir, take the cake! Your _girlfriend_ may be the doppelganger of Tatia Petrova but their similarities begin and end only in their looks and the magic in their blood! The rest of them is very clearly reminiscent of another Petrova, the niece of Tatia, Thyra. All three of them share the same common _illness_ I guess we can call it – they all want or wanted my husband, even though he wanted, wants nothing to do with them!

You know this to be true, Stefan. Don't play dumb and tell me that you didn't notice her pre-occupation with Damon. Her obsession about 'punishing' him. What for? He didn't cause the accident that killed her parents or have been the one to take her human life away. Tell me, what exactly has my husband and his family for that matter done to deserve the animosity that your gang is throwing their way? If memory serves right, they even saved her when she was still human from vampires who sought to use her as a bargaining tool. I don't recall any of them receiving any expressions of gratitude from any of you. And up until the last couple of days, **my** family has stayed away from this dreary and prejudiced little town."

Stefan looks at her, confusion evident on his expression as he takes her advice and thinks back to when they did first bump into Damon and the Mikaelsons and finds that Meili is most certainly right. There was never any need for them to react the way they have been towards the Original family. Elena grits her teeth, upset and annoyed that her secret was slowly coming to light and she knew without any doubt that if she didn't act fast, she could possibly lose it all! As quick as she can, she springs once more into action, hoping that with Meili distracted by her boyfriend, she would have a chance to end the woman.

How wrong she is!

She didn't get any further than a few steps before she found herself being raised from the ground with a hand wrapped painfully around her neck. She winces before looking down to the angry darkened eyes of Simone.

"You are clearly very stupid if you thought that my sister was alone!" Simone snarls before she hurls Elena backwards, her body bouncing off the large tree trunk. Soon the rest of the Original family and their guests emerge from the shadows, Damon seeming to simply appear right beside his wife. He quickly looks her over before wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her flush into his protective embrace.

The rest of the gang minus Stefan converge on the fallen Elena with Caroline helping her to her feet. They all rallied protectively in front of her, crouching low as if readying themselves to pounce.

"This is truly tragic! I had thought this would be fun but honestly I am starting to think that suggesting this was a big mistake! I mean come on?! None of them even noticed our presence and we were not even masking it!" Niklaus sighs as he languidly strolls to stand next to his tensed nephew.

"Elena?" Stefan's quiet voice rings loudly in the forest, stilling all noise and movement. Her answering silence answers his unvoiced question and he closes his eyes resignedly, pain and anger coursing through him as the realisation that every girl he seems to fall for has fallen for someone else! A specific someone! With that thought, he switches off his emotions, wanting to bury the feelings of betrayal and hurt deep where he doesn't have to think about it, let alone feel it.

The change in him was visible – he stood up straighter, a dark smirk appearing on his face and his already dark eyes darkening even more, the shine dulling until they looked frighteningly empty.

"St-Stef?" Elena tentatively reaches out for her boyfriend only to gasp in shock and fear when she finds herself being pinned once more to the tree, by him this time.

"I'm sorry, Steffy isn't in at the moment. He's currently away dealing with his _feelings_ about all the heinous bitches who have used and abused him all in the name of love. The love of Damon Salvatore, who couldn't even give two shits about any of you because he has a very gorgeous, jaw-dropping, triple-taking, deliciously sexy wife who is probably more adventurous in the sack than your pitiful missionary and yawn-inducing blow-job skills that leave **everything** to be desired! My name is Stefan and I'm the fun one." Stefan sneers as he takes a step back from her, disgust easily read in his expression as he vigorously rubs his forearm against his jeans. He turns and leers at Meili which has Damon growling at him, clearly incensed that the bunny-muncher had the balls to behave that way towards his wife.

"Oh! The big bad Original Son is baring his pearly white fangs at me. Get used to it bud! It's one of the cons in being in a relationship with a sex-on-legs. Everyone's going to want a piece of that delectable little morsel!"

"Stefan!" Caroline and Bonnie exclaim as they both stepped forward, not happy with the current turn of events.

"Ooh! Watch out it's the plastic vampire and her judgy little bitch, I mean, witch sidekick! Do stop right there and spare me your boring hypocritical lectures! Especially since plastic over there has a thing for doggy-style." He tosses winks towards both wolves. "And like her doppelganger little friend, she was so sure that the world fell at her feet and worshiped the ground she walked on that she broke up with teen wolf over there so she can be free for the big bad and fangy wolf! How's that for a kick in the snout, Tyler? Then again, you'd probably be more broken up if it weren't for the fact that you were banging a couple of pieces on the side and even had a quick taste of her bitch-witch friend. Tell me, is it considered doing the nasty if the only thing he penetrated her with is his tongue?!" Bonnie gasps whilst Tyler growls at Stefan before launching himself at the vampire who simply twisted away before kicking the werewolf dead on the small of his back, the sickening crack of Tyler's spine causing all those present to twitch in empathised pain.

"Wh-WHAT?!" Caroline shrieks as she turns to her supposed best friend who very smartly gives the blonde an aneurism to give herself time to escape as far from the vampire as possible. She ends up standing in front of Finn.

"Come now, Caroline. There's no need for you to react that way, you are not so innocent yourself! You've lusted after every male that's been after Elena or Bonnie, and whilst it's true that you hadn't considered it since you got together with Tyler, you had to admit that you did deliberately go out and seduce all the boys who had a thing for your friends! You even allowed Matt a quick dip in your honey pot when you were comforting him after his and Elena's break up do you remember?!"

"This is far more entertaining than what we had originally planned, Little Dove!" Niklaus chuckles. The rest of their group laughs as the turn of events have rounded a corner they didn't anticipate, not that they would stop it anytime soon – it is far more enjoyable than what they had in mind; seems like the gang was not as close or as put together as they would have liked everyone to believe.

"Anyone thought to bring any popcorn?" Rebekah piped in as she seated herself on a particularly high raised root. A bag appears on her lap and she gives a laugh and a wink Simone's way as she knew it was her doing.

"I for one did not anticipate for this to go so easily! They are basically tearing themselves apart and we barely did anything!" The red-headed girl who was dancing with Meili before at the Mystic Grill laughed.

"Caroline! Bonnie! Stefan! That's enough! Don't you see?! We're giving them exactly what they want! Pull yourselves together!" Elena cries out before gasping as a snapped off tree branch buries itself into her stomach. She looks up in disbelief at Bonnie who had been the one to magically throw the limb at her.

"In all honesty, all of this can be laid at your feet, so I'd shut up if I were you! We don't need to hear your hypocritical sanctimonious bullshit! If you only got over yourself and accepted sooner that Damon could, would never be yours, we wouldn't have been as involved with them as we are!"

"This is so much better than daytime TV!" Simone squeals as she plants herself next to Rebekah before reaching in to grab a handful of popcorn for herself.

"I don't know what you're talking about Bonnie! It's common knowledge that **Damon** is the one who's been after **me** for a while now!" Elena shrieks, her slow beating heart thundering loudly for all the supernatural beings present to hear, her clear tell for lying.

"You know as blind as _Steffy_ was to your faults, even he noticed that your one plus one definitely did not add up to two but since he loved you s-o much, he was willing to believe just about everything you say." Stefan snorts.

"You're not making any sense man, why the hell are you speaking in third person?" Tyler dumbly questions. Everyone turned and looked at him, shocked at his density or perhaps it was stupidity?

"Four-one-one on Rippers, teen wolf. Rippers are vampires who as humans would have been diagnosed as Schizophrenic or those suffering from multi-personality disorder. Steffy is a version of myself who managed to find his balls when we met that no-good nosy, bossy, hypocritically self-righteous little bitch, Alexia. I am actually the real deal and I plan to be the only one left standing, so get used to being in the presence of my gracious self!" The werewolf looks at him still looking confused, weary and frustrated.

" _Not the brightest tool in the shed, that one."_ Bai Hu comments in a whisper to Niklaus who smirks in agreement.

"Well this is going off to parts unknown. I'm still waiting for an answer. Are you all going to leave us, **all of us** alone or are you going to continue as you are? Not that I would allow it, if I know what you're going to do or are already doing, I wouldn't hesitate to make you beg for death!" The gang looked at her in disbelief and horror, well except for Stefan who looked almost eager for it. Couldn't blame the poor vampire – both women he had fallen for, had fallen for his extremely distantly related ancestor who wanted nothing to do with them because **he** had been lucky enough to have the patience to wait and land the love of his existence; who seems to be in every way his goddamn match in every way!

"You wouldn't dare!"

"As if you could!"

"I'd like to see you try!"

"You wouldn't be allowed to! The Spirits won't allow you!"

Stefan was the only one who had not protested, simply smirking instead. From the get go, he had a gut feeling that there was something different about Meili and his gut was right. Stefan being Stefan and not like Steffy knew that complying with this chick's demands was going to end up with heads rolling and he was rather attached to his.

"SHUT UP!" Silence rang through the air and once again all attention was on Meili as it was when this whole thing began. " **I** do not make such declarations lightly! For one such as **I** , it is not possible!" The gang's eyes widened even further as she seemed to grow a third more than her already considerable size. She raised her arm and this time jaws drop as a very long sword dove through the canopy of the large tree and snapped into her hand. It was sleek, thin and all black. Stefan's eyes narrowed at the sight of the thing, a hazy picture swimming at the back of his head – this was not the first time he had seen this sword but for the life of him he cannot remember when or how! But he knew enough to know that it was not a normal sword and one that he should rightly fear. Meili brings the masterpiece in front of her face and clicks the guard open, slowly sliding the blade out. The other three are shocked to see that the black was just as black as it's sheath. The tip clears and with a swift swish and a short ring, the sword sings as Meili swung it down to point towards the earth. Drops of something landed across the faces and hands of the gang and as they looked to see what it was they were horrified to realise it was blood!

"Let's make something clear." Shivers waved down everyone's spines at her words, even Damon though for him the effect was entirely different – he was turned on. "I am very obviously not human. What I am is for me to know and for you to _never_ find out. All you need to know is that I am a being _beyond_ any of your wildest painfully small imagination and that I am **not** bound by any Earthly rule! Your so-called-Spirits have no hold over me! I can **and will** kill you in a very slow and painful manner if you do not take what I had said into very careful consideration. I do not make idle threats. You have already been warned by my husband and his family to that going down this path will earn you nothing. Warnings are given for a reason and do not for a moment disillusion yourselves into thinking that you are getting another! I have given you your choice. You will either concede to the conditions I have set forth or I will not hesitate in torturously and painfully ending your very existence!" Protests rang through the trees only to be abruptly silenced when Meili raised her hand and slashed it across the air. Mouths still moved but sound could not be heard.

"I was not finished!

Your threats do not work with me! Warnings are given for a reason and you have all been warned before. But like the entitled, selfish narcissistic brats that you lot are, you thought that everything you see if yours for the taking and damn all to hell with the consequences! Well the consequences have arrived and as your generation's saying goes – you're screwed!

So, for the very last time I will ask you – are you going to leave my family alone?" She released her hold on the sounds. All present waited for the gang's response. This time the silence felt like the type were some really hard thinking was going on and there really were.

Caroline is arguing with herself whether it's worth all the trouble to continue to pursue Niklaus – especially given who she would be facing off with. For the first time in her entire life – living or otherwise – she realises that she wasn't going to get what she wants, not even if she were to make certain sacrifices. And then there's also the thing she had with Tyler. She had essentially ruined all of her chances with him, especially now that Stefan had chosen to blurt out all of their dirty laundry. She was fucked and she had no one to blame but herself.

Tyler was seething, he couldn't believe that Stefan would out him like that! Not to mention learning that Caroline had pretty much dumped him for an older but apparently better model! Isn't it supposed to be the newer or younger the better? Top that off, his ex now knows that he had had (well technically speaking) her best friend on the side. Sure, they didn't have sex-sex but wasn't it like some big girl rule that it's a no-no to be going after each other's man, regardless of whether they still were or were not in a relationship with said man? True he had a hand in it but it was Bonnie who had started the sexual part of that incident. His eyes roamed up Meili's figure, despite his fear of what she is capable of doing, Tyler can't seem to help himself with the chick. Ever since she stepped out of the car, even despite her practically living within that bastard Original Son's arms, he wanted her! She is just so fucking gorgeous! Great body, sexy voice, beautiful face, fuck-tastic rack – even as she is now, pissed and ready to take his head off, Tyler can't help himself from fantasising what it would be like to bend her over against the tree and have his way with her ten ways to Sunday! The other females in the group did star often in his fantasies but not as often as Damon's wife nor were any of his other fantasies played out as vividly and intense as the ones that starred her – not even Caroline and she's his supposed soul mate or whatever!

Bonnie was panicking. She feels practically helpless in this situation and she doesn't know what to do! Her grimoires had not given her an information about what in the world Meili could possibly be and the Spirits were just as clueless! Being the only real mortal present, she knows that anything that happens to her, right there and then would be the end of her; permanently. And if somehow miraculously they survive this encounter (which she highly doubts they will), she will then have to face Caroline's wrath about _almost_ sleeping with Tyler, deal with Elena (she couldn't help throwing that branch, Bonnie thought Elena should consider herself lucky but had she been really trying – Elena would be nothing but a desiccated corpse) and somehow find a way to incapacitate an emotionless Stefan.

Stefan's mind was a battleground between his two alter egos. For the longest time, the one who he had named 'Steffy' had been the one in control, no thanks to Alexia – a vampire that Steffy had met whilst he was still human and malleable. Stefan had always known about Steffy's existence, even during their human days. His multiple personality as a human was not as very obvious as it is now in his vampirism. Steffy started encroaching a lot more after they were turned but it wasn't until they had met Alexia that he started becoming bolder and assertive. Alexia had noticed straight away what Stefan is and she had thought she was doing him a favour by helping to lock up his more primal self.

" _Why in the world did you do that for, Stefan?! We had an agreement!"_

" _Fuck that agreement! I've had enough of your foolishness! I'm Stefan Avery and Stefan Avery does not get made a fool out of! Especially not by a two-bit slut that's panting like a bitch in heat for another man! She used us, Steffy! Or did you not realise her true reasoning behind wanting to transition?! It so obviously wasn't to be with us for eter-fuc king-nity! She turned for him you idiot! Sure she's a great lay and all but at the end of the day I'd rather have a bad lay who isn't fantasising about another man's dick whilst ours is in her. You have had control long enough and if I had had my say and you and that other slut-pire, Alexia hadn't done all your voodoo shit, I would have still been in control! I don't want to die, fuck you very much and most especially not because of that whore you have the audacity to call our girlfriend!"_

Elena is desperate – her delusions have now become her reality. Now, even she believes the lies she's poisoned her boyfriend's and friends' minds with. She feels this need, this want, this overwhelming urge to be with Damon. Sadly, she has mistaken these feelings as signs that Damon is her soulmate – otherwise why else would it be this strong, right?

"Well I'm speaking for myself and I say your wishes, oh dangerous and sexy one are my command." Stefan replies, sending a wink her way. Damon lifts his lips in a silent snarl at him at his made-up sobriquet for Meili but otherwise ignores him.

"Stefan?!" All four of the others exclaimed.

"I don't know about the three of you but I am s-o done playing Steffy the Bunny Muncher. I am now once more in control of my body as I should have always and I will do anything I need to in order to protect myself! Now is not the time to go all noble and save the not-even-remotely-damsel-in-distress! Believe me when I tell you that she would not think twice in throwing you to the wolves if it saved her bacon!"

Meili looks at Stefan for a moment, reading his thoughts. It amused her to no end to see what he had done to the other Stefan, the one he called 'Steffy'. Seeing his sincerity, the young Shen gestures to Gold who steps forward and grabs hold of Stefan. Startled he started to struggle, fear creeping in when he sees that she seems to possess strength that surpasses his vampiric one.

"Stop your struggling. He's not going to hurt you. He's only holding on to ensure you don't run."

"I thought we had a deal?!" Stefan growls.

"We do, however, before we let you go, we have to ensure you don't go blabbing to every Tom, Dick and Harry you meet what you are about to witness." Meili turns her emerald gaze towards the rest of his companions. "And what about you four? What say you?"

"You can go to hell!" Elena exclaims, stepping forward in front of the others. Whilst Tyler looked like he was having second thoughts, the other two nodded their heads. The Mikaelsons and the Shen were all stunned at the sheer stupidity before them before smirking. Looks like they were going to get their fun after all.

"Been there and back more times than you've been alive in years, doppel-slut." Meili's retort strangles her next words in her throat. The rest of the gang looks at her apprehensively, trying to gauge the truthfulness of her words.

"All of us have." Na Zha snorts, then stops and looks at San Long. "Opps, correction. _Nearly_ all of us have. I had forgotten little San-San has yet to take a trip. Want me to send you down?" He smirks at the dragon as he fingers the sword at his side. The rest of them snicker including San Long himself, knowing that Na Zha was only playing it up. They all look in horror at the amused expressions on the faces of their opponents, as if going to hell was some casual walk in the park.

"They've made their choice." At her words, the younger Shen converged on the three; Alicia and Eve trap Caroline and Bonnie between them, with Caroline trying with all her vampire strength to escape whilst Bonnie cast spell after spell with no effect. Michael and Na Zha ran Tyler down as the were had quicker reflexes than the girls and were actually able to turn and run, even if he didn't get very far. Simone nabbed Elena on her own and for all of Elena's struggles, she couldn't fight her off. Xuan Wu steps forward and all struggles seem to still when he made his presence known. There wasn't a being present who didn't recognise the sheer amount of power he holds.

"You have been given a choice, one that you foolishly refuse to take. Your choices have consequences, not only upon yourselves but also those around you, your families. May the Heavens forgive you as I do not think your family ever will." He stands up straight and before their very eyes grow as Meili had grown. He stood half a metre taller than his daughter – his clothes changing before their very eyes. First the colour turned black, then his suit pants changed to silk trousers and his shirt and jacket into a calf-length _changshan_ with embroidered snake headed turtles and snakes marching all over it in gold. His hair had lengthened with his growth though, still falling to his knees. Another sword crashes through the canopy, his arm snapping up just in time to pluck it out from the air and clip it into place at his side. His dress shoes morphed into black combat books with golden hooks.

"Eve and San Long take Caroline Forbes to her house. There you will wait for her mother to return home. The moment Sheriff Forbes does, Bill Forbes will be carried to you and before her very eyes, you will erase her existence from her parents' memories. You will replace it with the memories of carrying a child and losing it, thus causing for the breakdown of their marriage. You will also erase from their memories those of Bonnie Bennett, Tyler Lockwood, Elena Gilbert and Stefan Avery. However, you will leave them with a feeling as if something was missing, one that will not fade until the day they do from this life. After that you will then take Caroline back to the Peak to await further instructions.

Alicia and Jade you are to do the same with Bonnie Bennett with her parents. They will both be carried to her house to wait for you. Her cousin Lucy will also be there.

Michael and Na Zha, the same with Tyler Lockwood with his mother and uncle.

Meili and Simone will escort Elena to hers and do the same for the hunter slash history teacher, Alaric Saltzmann, her aunt and her brother.

Bai Hu, Zhu Que and Qin Long you will come with me to surround this little town and perform the same service – link with the younger ones so that the memories all corroborate. Erect a barrier around the town to protect it against any supernatural with any ill intent and for any and all who cross its borders, if they had any memories of these five will be wiped from their minds. By the break of the new day, I want it that these five will be as if they were never born!"

The horror of Xuan Wu's words sank down onto the five of them began to struggle, their protests loud and fearful. To be erased from the memories of their loved ones – it was something they feared more than death! One by one the groups disappeared save for Stefan and Alicia who had remained in the forest – Stefan didn't have any family or other loved ones whose memories needed erasing, his have all been dead for a good few decades. The Shen carrying their charges with them. A Mikaelson tagged along, guarding the perimeters of the properties whilst the Shen performed their tasks. Anguished screams from the gang echoed through the night as they watched their loved ones forget about them.

For Elena, Simone made it extra painful, broadcasting her family's thoughts as they explained to them what they were about to do. To have Jeremy actually respond positively, tore at her very being. When it was time to go, Meili waved a hand and all of the physical memories of Elena disappeared from the home – pictures were altered to remove her presence, her bedroom changed to remove her personal effects and make the room look not-lived-in, even her very scent was erased. Not a single trace of her could now be found within the Gilbert home. With a heavy heart and hung head, Elena allowed herself to be carried off, tears falling down her cheeks as she takes one last look at her home before it faded away and the darkness engulfed her.

* * *

The town of Mystic Falls woke as the rooster crowed. Sheriff Forbes walked into her kitchen feeling as if there was something she had forgotten. She reaches out and grabs a mug and fills it with coffee, only to turn and grab another though she doesn't understand why. She and Bill had long since divorced due to the loss of their unborn baby and Bill had actually come out and told her that this was the chance he was waiting for to let her know that he was actually gay!

Carol Lockwood wondered down her mansion, instructing the numerous workers to pack up and clean up all the traces of the ball she had held previously. She reached her kitchen to accept a cup of coffee from her maid and turned to instruct the young woman to make up a breakfast that she had no idea why she was thinking of having made when there was only her left in this home, her husband Richard long passed away and her brother-in-law was probably passed out in a hotel or motel somewhere around town.

Rudy Hopkins woke up to find himself in bed with his ex-wife Abby Bennett Wilson. He quickly but quietly extricated himself from the bed, taking care not to wake her up before gathering up his clothes and exiting the home, thankful that it was early enough that none saw him leaving. As he got into his car, he shook his head and vowed to never imbibe in alcohol again – no need to make the same mistake a third time. Abby herself rose from her bed, having woken up mid-Rudy's flight from her side. Her heart heavy and painful as she watched him leave without even a backwards glance. She also vowed to herself that this was the last time she was coming back to this town. She gets up and makes her way down the hall to her niece's room and opens it. She shakes the young woman awake and instructs her to pack up. By mid-morning the two Bennett witches had their cars packed with their personal items and drove away from their home and the town.

Jenna Sommers woke with a start as the alarm sounded, signalling for her and her boyfriend Alaric Saltzmann to start their day. She got up and got ready for work, waking up her boyfriend as she exited their room. She banged loudly on her nephew's door before making her way to the kitchen. By the time the two males appeared, she had made enough to feed an army though stops and looks at the extra spot she had laid on the table, unsure of why she had even done so in the first place. Her companions also looked at the extra setting with confusion before shrugging their shoulders and proceeding to help her put the crockery and utensils away and tuck into the breakfast she set out.

The residents of Mystic Falls slowly woke to the new day, some more than others feeling a certain sense of something missing, however, just a fleeting as it came, they shrugged it off and went about their day.

* * *

The new day dawned differently for those in the Chen apartments in the Peak Towers in Hong Kong. While the rest of the Mikaelsons and Shen were peacefully ensconced in their respective rooms, their prisoners were all placed in one room, guarded by two men and three women who did not react to anything they said or did. Their pleas went unheard as they struggled with the invisible binds on their person. They were comfortable as far as comfort goes, the room held couches and daybeds enough for all of them. There were two bathrooms connected to the room. The only thing that was odd about it was the fact that there were no windows and that there were no other doors leading out of it, neither in the main room itself or the connecting bathrooms.

* * *

"So, that did not go as I thought it would." Kol comments before stuffing a large piece of his toast in his mouth. It was now mid-morning of the following day after the ball and their confrontation and both families were seated in the dining room, enjoying a breakfast feast fit for an emperor. Some heads turned his way, acknowledging his words before they tucked back into their own plates of food.

"Yeah, me too. I was thinking something a bit more, bloody." Na Zha smirks. The rest of them chuckle at his comment.

"I think that was actually more fitting. These five thrived and lived for the attention of that tiny little town who dished it to them in spades and that's with both the mortal and supernatural communities there. To have been collectively forgotten, to witness the erasing of their memories from their loved ones, that's got to hurt!" Simone pipes in as she pours more tea for her and her sister.

"But what do we do with them five now?" Niklaus asks. All eyes fall on Meili who was perched on her husband's lap, quietly munching on a piece of toast. She brings her hand down, accepts her husband's proffered fork filled with egg and chews with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"I was thinking of having them take a trip down through the courts, doing the rounds through all ten and in each and every session, they are provided with the day-to-day playback of their loved ones' lives continuing on without them." The rest of her party shudder with the shiver that rolls down their spines at the sickly-sweet undertone her voice had taken and each and every one of them makes a silent vow to never get on her bad side. Ever.

After breakfast, Meili, Damon, Xuan Wu, Bai Hu, Simone, Michael and the Mikaelsons carried themselves to where their prisoners were housed while the rest carried themselves back to Mystic Falls to pack up the house and get ready for their move to New Orleans.

Once their prisoners were fed, Xuan Wu and Bai Hu work on Stefan to alter his memories, removing all traces of the other four and everything that has happened since his return to his ancestral home town. They made it so that he does not recall ever travelling there and plants emotions of never wanting to return. They made it look like he spent all this time travelling all over the world, looking for something he doesn't know what. They also made him stay on the vegetarian diet – reinforcing their previous conditions on him. They then sent him on his way, with a bag of clothes and some money, IDs and a passport that stated he has been in Hong Kong for a good few weeks and a ticket for mainland China in a couple of days' time. Elena watches, devastated that she has now not only lost the love of her life but was also losing the only man who came close to being Damon's replacement.

With Stefan set, they then turned their attention on the other four.

"You four will be sent to hell, I thought I'd share the experience. There you will go through all ten courts – you have all actually committed enough sins to warrant you actually going through all ten anyways. There you will suffer the consequences of your actions and for each and every session, you will be treated to the play-by-play of your loved ones' lives, going about their day, having forgotten you existed. You will get to witness just how much better off they all are without you lot causing them grief, stress, heartache and trouble. And after you have gone through all ten, you will start again and again and again until the mortal lives of your families are gone. And only then will I come back and see what to do with you then.

Do hope that when the time comes I might be in a happy mood and simply grant you the death that you would surely be begging for by then. If I'm not…" Meili shrugs as her implication sinks in, waves and waves of fear shivering down the gang's backs.

"You are a monster and one that doesn't deserve Damon!" Elena cries out, tears tracking their way down over the previous paths that others have taken.

"I may well be all of those things or perhaps even something worse but that is not for you to decide. You have played God with the lives of those closest to you, all for the sake of attempting to take someone who does not even acknowledge your presence! I hope you enjoy the extra reels I'll be sending you – they'll be of Damon happily living his life with this _monster._ " Meili sneers before her father waves his hand and sends all four of them down to the ten courts of Hell.

* * *

 **A/N: Hi all, sorry this was delayed. Unfortunate circumstances and everything.**

 **Further, I want to announce that due to certain work and personal commitments, I will be moving my update schedule to every Sunday afternoon, Australian Eastern Standard Time.**

 **New Orleans is next! See you then!**

 **~TMDS**


	8. Chapter Seven

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing - all the recognisable characters and places belong to their respective owners, I'm merely borrowing them to play with. Any translations and author notes will be at the end of each chapter.**

 **All mistakes are my own - I don't have a beta.**

* * *

Elena opened her eyes as she felt quick and light touches pepper all over her face. She hums as she lifts her arms to stretch, her limbs protesting a little to accommodate the contortions she was forcing them to bend into.

"Wake up, doll face." A sexy deep baritone chuckles into her ear. Brown eyes snap open as they turn and meet the bright baby blues of the love of her existence.

"Damon?!" She queries as he leans down and runs his fingers down her cheek, before his palm cradles one side of her face. She nuzzles herself against it and goes to pull him in when he eludes her, his eyes crinkling in amusement at her protest.

"Why do you sound so surprised, sugar?" He asks as he lays himself down next to her, cradling his head on his hand.

"N-no. Not surprised, just that I had a bad dream. A nightmare. I thought…" She stammered as she struggled to remember what had happened. Or she perhaps dreamt had happened? It had felt so real, Damon not being in love with her, married to someone else.

"What was your nightmare about?" Elena snuggled against his chest, she was feeling so euphoric about being in his arms that she didn't even notice that he was not returning her embrace. She traced circles on his chest.

"In my dream, you had come back to town after being gone for a while. You and your family arrived with a whole bunch of strangers. I think you were showing them where you guys lived, your hometown so to speak. There was this one chick, you were all over her like a fat man on a chocolate cake and you introduced her as your…"

"My wife named Meili who I had been married to for a hundred years? The one who I had waited a millennium for? Forsaking all others, ignoring the seductive calls of the female flesh?" Damon's suddenly icy tone interrupts Elena mid rant and causes her to whip her head up and turn her eyes towards him. She gasps as she scrambles away from his glacier gaze. "What's the matter, E-le-na?"

"What? Who? What's going on?!" She shrills as she jumps out of the bed and backs away from it, putting her back against the wall. Damon's lips quirk to a smirk as his eyes focus on a point behind her. Elena turns her head and a scream tangles itself in her throat as the wall she was leaning against had vanished and before her stood Meili in all her beautifully deadly glory.

"Ah my love." She hears Damon sigh before she sees him flash over to the beauty's side. Elena couldn't look away as much as she wanted to as she watches the man she wanted more than anything else in the world take the woman she despises in his arms, his face alight with worshipful adoration as he slants his mouth over hers and plants a searing kiss that shot razor sharp knives into her heart. His moan further stabs in the blade, the lust and love he has for his wife so encompassing, it seems to make him forget all reason and the fact that they are not alone as he wraps his hands around her tiny waist and hoists her up to wrap her legs above his hips. Elena lets out an agonised filled sob which thankfully for her seems to somewhat cool his ardour.

"What's going on Elena is that this is the start of your punishment. For all the wrongs and sins you've committed against practically everyone in your life and those who have had the misfortune of meeting you – this? This is just the beginning." Damon grins as he slowly lets his wife down, sliding her soft and pliant body against his hard and unyielding frame. She turns around and he pulls her close to him, imprinting his torso to her back, his arms wrapping like steel bands around her. Elena for the life of her couldn't close her eyes so as to avoid seeing the tableau before her.

"You are going to go through this and more, many times through ten different courts – each has their own way of showing you the error of your ways. Normally you would have passed through the First Court of Hell, where you would have been judged but seeing as that was already done while we were on the Earthly, you skipped it and you are now in the Second Court of Hell. This is where those who raise their hand against others and those that are corrupt come to be tortured.

Here King Chujiang will over and over again alternate between throwing you over into that fiery volcanic pit or into the frigid waters of the Antarctic to freeze. And then, just when you think the day is done – you will wake up and find that it's going to happen again, and again, and again, and again. You will not be leaving this court until he decides that you have repented enough.

Don't think you're in the clear though because after here, there are eight more courts that you will be going to and once you've reached the last, you will go back to the first and be judged all over again. Depending on what they see inside your soul – you could get lucky and be set free. Though I'm pretty sure it'll be the other way and they will find that your soul is as black as your heart in which case, you will get to experience all of this," Damon's hand spread out, drawing Elena's attention to the fact that they were no longer in a room but in some cavern where a glorious mix of the fiery lava pits and the ice-cold tundra co-existed side by side. "All over again." He throws her a saccharine grin before he sweeps down to cradle Meili into his arms in a bridal hold. He turns and starts to walk away from Elena, despite her yells and pleas to return. He does stop just before they round the corner and look back over his shoulder. "Oh before I forget, baby if you would please?" He smiles lovingly down on his wife who returns the look before snapping her fingers. Screens littered the walls, the images on them were the lives of Jeremy, Jenna, Alaric, Stefan and the residents of Mystic Falls all living their lives, happily it seems – not a stray thought to her or the others. One last screen flickers to life, the image a little darker than the others until the last Petrova doppelganger realises that this screen is focused on Meili and Damon, showing her their exit from the hell she was in. She vainly tries to shut out the image of Damon so amorous for his wife that he didn't bother to wait before they left the area – desperately pinning her against the nearest wall and ravaging her mouth, his hands roaming without pause all over her body. Finally, finally, the hold on her body is released and Elena lets loose anguished and painful scream which morphs into fright when she feels herself being lifted and suddenly airborne, near unbearable heat rushing at her as she falls down the pit and into the greedy, bubbling liquid fire.

* * *

Damon leans back against the headboard of their bed, his hands absently threading themselves through his wife's tresses, the action having lulled her to sleep after he had had his wicked way with her. Over and over and over. His lips quirk to a smirk as he recalls all that he did to show his wife just how hot he thought she looked having to deal with the pests of his past. After their return from Hell, she and her sister had taken Eve and Jade and went out for a while, leaving the rest of them to get ready for the next leg of their trip. They came back a couple of hours later with a bound and gagged Katerina Petrova, looking like they had just stepped out of a Vogue magazine while she went all twelve rounds with Mohammad Ali and lost. Informing the other vampiric doppelganger of her fate and sending her down to join her descendant lifted a giant weight off Damon's shoulders – he was finally free. Not that they were that much of nuisance to begin with but with those kinds of tenacious leeches it was better to have done something about them than not. Never know when one of their hair-brained, misguided schemes might do something irreparable to his and Meili's relationship.

Now, there was only his Uncle Nik's troubles left to deal with before he can have his turn in getting rid of the pests in his wife's life. Not that he is annoyed or tired of the drama or anything but in the hundred years since they wed and adding almost a decade more since they met, they have always been on the go, there is always something cropping up – threatening him, threatening her, them, their family, something. He knew what he signed up for when he met and realised who and what she was and he wouldn't exchange anything for her. But with her coronation practically around the corner, Damon thinks it's time they settled down some and gave making little mini clones of themselves some real serious thought. A reward of sorts for all the hard work they've done. His wife is his perfect half and she fills him up in every sense of the word – she completes him but having a child, a being to call theirs? They may complete each other but he knows just as he knows she knows that their child would complete **them**. Together. A smile twitches into place as he pictures a little girl who looks exactly like her stunning mother running around the halls of their house with her brother or brothers who are clones of himself chasing after her, their laughter ringing all over the home, filling it with the sounds of love and light.

As he slides down to join his wife, wrapping his body protectively around hers, his last thoughts were of the future he knows is so close he could almost feel it.

 _I wonder how my Mei would feel about having two or three mini versions of us? Each._

* * *

Unlike their arrival in Mystic Falls, considering that the French Quarter of New Orleans is pretty much supernatural central, the Mikaelsons and the Shen opted to simply appear inside the courtyard of the manse known as the Abattoir; the former home of the Mikaelson family before their forced eviction due to their father.

They shimmered into place right in the middle of fight night; the newest form of entertainment that Marcel had thought of – have his night walkers fight with each other to the death for a chance to win a daylight ring. Gasps and curses coloured the air as both vampires, witches and warlocks alike readied themselves for attack, only pausing to wait for orders from their _king_.

The group took one look at their welcome committee and laughed. Loud and chilling belly laughs, catching all off guard – their expressions uncertain as to how to proceed in the face of a reaction that they had not anticipated.

"What do you want? Why are you here?!" Marcel demanded, his form crouched in front of a very young looking teenage girl who had gasped and couldn't tear her gaze away from the tall and delicious form of one Kol Mikaelson.

"Now, now Marcellus. Is that any way to greet your _father_?" Niklaus tuts as he strolls forward, his entire demeanour was menacing in its fluidity

"You arrived un-announced after so many centuries of cowering away in fear, _father_. Leaving _me, your_ _son_ alone to face his grandfather, leaving me for dead! Surely you did not expect to be received welcomingly? Not to mention that you bring others with you, as if you were pla-…" The bone chilling chuckle of Niklaus stills any further words that he may have uttered.

"Ah Marcel. Marcel. Marcel. Mar-cel. Son. ' _Cowering in fear.'_ I do so love that description, thought I believe it probably applies more to you than me, _my boy_. You are the coward who waited in the shadows, manipulating any and all in your way to gain something that was not rightfully yours – a something that we would have easily shared with you, had you only been patient enough to wait. I guess we shall be the typical son and father where the son disappoints his father. How you disappoint me, Marcel for not having the guts to fight me face-to-face for the crown of New Orleans.

This town has always belonged to the Mikaelsons, even in absentia, this town, this tiny little supernatural kingdom has always been ours. **We** built this city, harboured its supernatural residents, cared for and governed all the factions, albeit selfishly for the sole purpose of ensuring that my nephew is safe from his sadistic grandfather; but nevertheless, our family has only ever thought of the good of the residents; all of them. We certainly never have stooped so low as to have them fight like mindless, rabid animals for our sport, dangling the gift of day-walking as a prize.

The crown of New Orleans has always belonged to my family, one that you, once a upon a time used to be a part of.

Do tell, Marcel. Did it even hurt in the most microscopic proportions when you contemplated sinking that dagger in my back? Or did you simply forget all the centuries that I had cared for and protected you almost like you were born from my loins, not that much different to Damon?" It took everything in Niklaus to keep the pain and betrayal he was feeling from his tone and he was grateful for Meili's hand which slipped into the crook of his elbow, her soothing presence a balm to the hurt he was feeling as he looked at the man he had loved as a son. His lips twitch as he feels his nephew's hand on his shoulder, imparting their unwavering strength to him.

"Not one bit. You may have taken me in but you never let me once forget who it was truly that you wished for was your son. But that is all done and dusted, a thing of the past. What I am more interested in now is who is this tasty little treat? My new step-mother perhaps?" Marcel sneers as he struggles to keep his reaction at both Niklaus' words of truth that he refuses to acknowledge in the face of his finally having gained the power he has always coveted, as well as towards Meili from showing. His blood was pumping and it was all heading south as he leered at her ethereal beauty. The heat licking along his veins suddenly freezes when his dark eyes meet her green ones and he somehow detects the sheer amount of power she holds in her petite frame. Those shining emerald depths that threaten to suck you in, hold on tight and never let go until **she** tells **you** to breathe your last.

"I am not lucky enough to have won the fair hand of this gorgeous lady. She is my lovely niece-in-law, Damon's wife. Little Dove," Niklaus turns to look at Meili, his sapphire gaze looking down at her beautiful countenance, his smile conveying where words fail him of the love, warmth and thankfulness he feels towards her for accepting him into her life and heart, helping to soothe the sting of Marcel's betrayal. She returns his gesture and more and Niklaus' smile widens as he reaches out to brush an errant lock back behind her ear. "This, to my misfortune and utter foolishness is my adopted son, Marcellus Gerard, better known as Marcel." Meili turns her jewelled gaze towards the vampire in question, her eyes piercing deep into Marcel's soul and finding it just as dark as his skin.

"Surely, he is not the reason why you had been so hesitant to allow me to visit, Uncle Nik?" She chimed. The rest of their party chuckles once more as they watched the scene playing out before them.

"Indeed, he is, I fear Little Dove. Unfortunately, his actions in the past has caused me to be cautious around him – I have found that he could not be trusted and seeing as you are our family's most precious and important treasure, I could not in all conscience allow him near you. Goodness only knows what he could have done." Niklaus sighs dramatically, his hand coming up to cover hers. "Not to mention, I am doubly sure that my beloved nephew would have my head on a stick if I even entertained the thought of the notion of bring you to harm."

"Damon was able to bag such a lovely prize? You didn't have to compel her, did you, _boy?_ " Marcel throws at Damon, attempting the goad the Original Son to action. To his disappointment, Damon barely spares him a glance, the action igniting the fires of hate that had long laid low, near dormant in his chest. _How dare he?!_ It has always gotten to Marcel's goat how little Damon thought in any regard towards him, for all intents and purposes they were cousins though Marcel never felt that way towards Damon, especially since it was clear between the two young men who was the favourite of the family. To be subjected once again to Damon's indifference caused something in Marcel to snap and it was all he could to lunge at his 'cousin' and tear his heart out in front of his precious pretty pretty wife. His grin turns near feral at the thought of tearing the Original Son's heart out but not before taking and humiliating his wife in every way possible before him. He bites back a groan as he finds himself getting hard at the fantasy playing in his head.

"I very much doubt you would believe me if I told you that she cannot be compelled. And insult my wife and my marriage again, Marcel and adopted son of **my** Uncle Nik or not, I will take your heart out and make you eat it. Capisce?"

"Threats. They are all empty threats." The dark-skinned man braves, peering into the baby blues he hated as they were yet another reminder for him of just who is the one who truly favours _his father_. Suddenly he gasps as the feeling as if a hand was wrapped around his heart erupts in his chest. He looks down to see if there was indeed a limb there but to his utter amazement there was none. He falls to his knees, clutching at his breastbone, his breathing loud and crude, whimpers forced through teeth at the incredible amount of pain he was experiencing.

"Feeling a little tight around the chest there, Marcy? Like someone's squeezing the dark ooze you call blood out of your heart?" Damon taunts as he concentrates further on the cousin that until the day he betrayed his uncle he paid very little attention to. It wasn't for anything else other than a bad vibe and a word of warning from his own father; he wasn't about to waste his time on someone who he could not feel comfortable with. In hindsight, the youngest Original feels guilty about the whole ordeal; perhaps if he had been more welcoming? Cousinly? Just as the thought comes up, his wife's hand slips through his and she shows him what was in Marcel's mind and heart – there was nothing, absolutely nothing he could have done to prevent it. This was doomed from the start – Marcel though abused and treated like garbage was no different from his bastard father. Thinking themselves entitled just because of whose blood they carried. It may have been worse had Damon been emotionally close to the former slave; he would probably have felt just as devastated and betrayed as his aunt and uncle.

"Wh-what are you…" Marcel groans out – the vampires and witches around him hissing and yelling as they panicked at the sight of _their king_ on his knees. The noise rises, a few vampires and witches surround him and Davina whilst the rest launch themselves at the group to attack.

Clamouring, shouts, screams of anger, fearful moans, dying groans and the smell of blood permeate the air; Marcel tries to concentrate on his breathing as he works through his own agonising pain. And just as sudden as it started, it stopped, along with all the cacophony of the battle. Thinking that his side had won as the pain had receded, the self-proclaimed king of New Orleans lifts his head with a victory smirk that dies the moment his eyes fall on the first body laying before him.

The walls, pillars and floor of the courtyard were painted with the blood and flesh of his followers – witches and vampires alike! The only ones left standing were him, Davina and the handful that guarded them who had had to do very little as none of the _monsters_ before them had even raised so much as an eyebrow in their direction.

"Well that was rather disappointing." Kol sighs as he pouts at the tears and bloody stains on his leather jacket.

"You're getting sloppy Uncle Kol. I blame all the time you've spent at the Western Palace rather than training on that one. It took you a whole half a minute to take down your end!" Simone playfully jeers at him as she skips across the body part littered grounds to her fiancée, rising on her tip toes to give him a quick kiss.

"I am a lover not a fighter, darling! I truly liked this jacket, it was a favourite" He protests as he strips the garment off and tosses it to the side. Davina's breath hitches as she catches sight of his lean but athletic figure. Dry-heaving noises fill the air as they all turn in astonishment and catch sight of Meili with a scrunched-up face, waving her hand back and forth in front of it.

"What's the matter, baby?" Damon asks, concerned.

"I thought the stench of that she-wolf was bad, Hermoine over there is all kinds of drenched for Uncle Kol!" She gags as she nods her head towards the teenaged witch. They all turn in Davina's direction, snickers and looks of disgust emanating from the men and women, respectively. The young witch flushes red with embarrassment and anger, her hands weaving as she starts to chant, Marcel's smile widening to a grin when he catches certain words of the spell. Davina ends her incantation with a triumphant shout as she directs her magic to the cause of her humiliation.

"Oh my whatever are we to do? My wife, my wife, my precious wife." Damon deadpans as the smaller group watches with rising trepidation as the young witch's spell barely even tickled the young Shen. Meili looks down on her body as if to check for injuries before looking up with a smirk.

"My turn." She hums before she lifted her hand up to show them before she forms a claw with her fingers and slowly closes them; as she does, Davina gasps painfully while clutching at her chest. Marcel lets out a surprised yell, clearly remembering his own experience. Meili's fingers move a fraction closer together, causing the former Harvest witch to fall to her knees, tears streaming down her face. The remaining of what's left of Marcel's group lunges at the young Mikaelson wife with Marcel himself in the lead. "I don't think so." Meili sing songs before she sweeps her hand and sends the group flying sideways to slam against the courtyard's wall. They all groan as they attempt to pick themselves up from the blow.

"You see, Marcel, we don't care for the plans you and your merry little band of misguided idiots have for my son-in-law and his family, who I consider not only my closest friends but also my family. We know all about your treachery of Niklaus and Rebekah and that you are quite literally in bed with the Lebonair she-wolf, Hayley who by the way is quite the bitch-in-heat for Elijah all in the effort to try and wrest from the Mikaelsons the power over all the vampires. You do not quite realise, do you?" Xuan Wu questions as he strolls towards Marcel. When he reaches the still groaning vampire, he reaches down, hauls him up by his lapels and slams him against the wall, causing him to groan even more. "You only think about yourself. The power you will hold. I know about your past and I can even understand why you seek this but what you want, what you wish for, what you are doing all this for is not for the betterment of any but yourself. So, that no one else could, would ever make you feel small, helpless, powerless again. You are projecting the anger and pain you have for your biological father onto the man who had done nothing but care and love you as though his own. Had you not been so blind to vengeance and jealously, you would have seen that you were not treated any differently from Damon.

Despite your own misconceptions, your _father_ seems to believe that you are capable to redemption and for that alone are you getting this one and only warning.

You are to stop attempting to wrest control of all the vampires from the Mikaelsons as well as the harebrained plans that both Celeste the witch and Hayley Marshall the Lebonair she-wolf have come up with in their vying for Elijah's attention. You have a choice, Marcel Gerard, _son_ of Niklaus Mikaelson. You have a choice to choose to do the right thing and work **with** your family rather than trying to eradicate them.

What say you?"

Silence followed Xuan Wu's question before an almost inhuman screech flew out of Davina's lips and with desperate burst of magic, she blew everyone back and latched onto Marcel, spelling them away.

* * *

Deep inside the swamps of New Orleans, Davina and Marcel re-appeared in front of a cabin that's seen better days. She helps him get inside the cabin and spells the surrounds so that they will not be tracked whether by scent, by magic, away from sight, sound and smell of any, even those with enhanced senses.

The young witch blew out a breath, grateful that she had acted as she did. She had been keeping things from her benefactor but not without reason. She had been practicing darker magic and expressionism as she had seen a vision of _her_ future in which she was stuck in a horrible place, forced through all kinds of tortures all the while forced to witness as the world lived on without her, as _Kol_ lived on without her, happy with his family and though not having a single love as of yet, happy with the many lovers he has taken with. It was not a future she could stand, she could accept and so she made plans, plans she hoped she had never had to let to fruition but now know that it's the only way. The price she knows she has to pay she feels is worth the future in which she gets all that she wants and she is happy.

But in order for that to happen, she needs Marcel to continue on the path he is now and not the path that the tall Asian man with the unreadable presence and incredible sense of power is putting before him.

* * *

"Seems to me that Marcel's not the only man with the plan, Jon." Elijah muses as he strides through the halls of the Abattoir with his best friend. They had taken over the home, giving the vampire and witches left behind the choice of either going their way or being dealt with. Most had taken the offer though there were few who were incredibly loyal to Marcel and Davina and had to be dealt with.

"It would seem Eli that the young witch has her own agenda, one that most likely Marcel had no knowledge prior to this moment but most likely would very soon. I do not think that she would keep this from him for very long, her feelings, thoughts were all inwards but she does also feel a huge sense of gratefulness towards your adopted nephew. She will do everything she can to make sure that what they both want they will get. It would be wise to have Kol prepare himself – she wants him, that much I'm very sure of." They both laugh despite the precariousness of the situation as it seems that just when they feel that the homestretch is just around the bend, something else forces them to take a different road.

"You know, all this drama in our lives didn't dramatically increase until your son decided to pursue my daughter." Xuan Wu states as they turn the corner and head for the room in which they can both sense and scent was Marcel's.

"I would like to say it is the opposite. My family has not faced so much danger as we did before your daughter led my son in a merry little chase." Elijah laughs with him as they reach Marcel's room. Their mirth stops when the door is suddenly flung open and they are assaulted with the scent of a werewolf.

 _Hayley Marshall_

The she-wolf gasps she finds herself face-to-face with the man she has fallen head-over-heels in lust for. She takes a step forward, her hand outstretched to touch him. His lips lift into a silent snarl whilst stepping back, giving her a look of utter disgust. For a fleeting moment she feels pain at his rejection – in hindsight she now sees that perhaps shacking up and inviting his adopted nephew into her bed was not the best; especially considering the track record she already had, having already bedded his brother. She briefly glances to his companion, a very attractive companion who tilts his head as if to assess her.

"You dodged the bullet with this one, Eli. Even you somehow managed to get past her smell, I know for a fact you have seen more pleasing to the eye countenances that her, no?" Xuan Wu chuckles as both he and Elijah notice her not so discriminatory glances over their forms. "She doesn't seem to hold much loyalty either; an oddity considering loyalty is a very strong canine trait." Hayley growls low as she reaches back and brings her hand forward to slap the devastatingly handsome but insulting man. His hand comes up and blocks the blow, his long fingers wrapping double around her wrist and tightens warningly.

"That is something I advise you to never try to do again, Miss Marshall. Not only do I personally not appreciate anyone even thinking to harm my family, let alone actually attempt it but you will not survive the wrath of his daughters should you have succeeded in landing such a blow." Elijah chuckles though his tone spoke otherwise – it was full of warning and dark promise of pain and suffering. "And that would not be good for the baby. I would prefer that you kept yourself safe, Miss Marshall. You after all carry a Mikaelson and though Meili and Simone may not physically harm you, not while you carry Niklaus' heir but it will not prevent them from doing any and all possible to make your life a living hell." Hayley gasps as she does indeed remember about the trick she and Celeste had cooked up in order to try and create some kind of discord within the close knit Original family. She looks down and lets out a near inaudible sigh of relief that she had somehow managed to subconsciously put the pillow on.

"E-Eli..." She stammers as she steps forward to again try and touch the man she was sacrificing everything for and again she couldn't help the feeling of pain as he once again eludes her grasp.

"Please Miss Marshall, proprieties should be observed. You carry my brother's heir. It would not be appropriate for you to call me so familiarly, even more so as I had not given you permission to do so. You may call me Elijah but nothing more." With those words, Elijah turns back around and retraces his steps. It wasn't until he and Xuan Wu reached the lower floor and knew that they were out of the she-wolf's range that he allowed himself to let out a yell to allow him to expel the extreme anger that was coursing through him. He longed to push his hand through Hayley's chest and pull her black and demented heart out and feed it to her.

"It won't be long, Eli. We must first deal with the more unpredictable of your family's pests before we deal with the she-wolf. She is not as a big a threat as Marcel or the young witch are. Besides, do you honestly think that you would have a chance at the wolf? Our daughter has called dibs and you know that we both give her everything that she wants." Xuan Wu shoots his long-time friend and brother a saccharine grin which is returned as their thoughts go back the tiny little goddess that holds their hearts.

* * *

"Do you think it will work?" Marcel asks as he and Davina slowly made their way through the streets of the French Quarter. Davina can only nod as she's too busy chanting a spell to ensure that they remain undetected. Little do they know that their whereabouts were always known, they their movements are tracked that their plan will fail.

* * *

"What are we going to do, Celeste?" Hayley whispers as she paces her room, she feels safe enough to make the call to her cohort. All their plans seem to be falling to pieces but she doesn't want to give up hope, the loss is too much for her to bear.

" _Stick with the original plan, Hayley! Elijah will be ours but we have to stick with this plan! Try not to flirt your ass off with him, Elijah is attracted to the damsel-in-distress types. You have to appear fragile and lady-like. No crassness, brashness or any of that redneck from the backwaters swamp marsh that you originally came from!"_ Celeste scolds as she without success tries again and again to see any vision of the future in which they do not fail. She is feeling just as desperate as the wolf as all the visions she has been seeing has been of them facing torture without any end.

"Easy for you to say! You're not the one currently sharing a home with the Originals and their equally intimidating friends! Not to mention that daughter-in-law of Elijah's has been watching me like a hawk – she barely lets me out of her sight when I'm not in my room, she doesn't even let me and Elijah be in the same room on our own!" The wolf grits as her vision turns red with anger at the thought of the brunette beauty that the Original Son had married. She didn't want to admit it but the petite woman scared her far more than even Niklaus could. There was something within those green depths that unnerved her – she felt as though they could see right through her, know her darkest secrets. Not to mention the fire within them seemed to glow with the promise of never-ending pain.

Little did she know just how right she was.


	9. Chapter Eight

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing - all the recognisable characters and places belong to their respective owners, I'm merely borrowing them to play with. Any translations and author notes will be at the end of each chapter.**

 **All mistakes are my own - I don't have a beta.**

* * *

The following day found Hayley skulking out of her room and making her way towards the side door of the Abattoir. She had received a message from Marcel and Davina stating that they have managed to sneak back into the city and that they need her to let them back into the property. She crossed the kitchen and made her way to the door.

"Going somewhere, Miss Marshall?" Hayley gasps as she whirls around, startled. Her dark eyes met the obsidian ones of Xuan Wu.

"Uh um. Just wanted some fresh air?" She stutters unsure.

"With recent events, I believe it might be best you take your air in the courtyard. We do not wish for you to risk yourself or the babe, now do we?" Though the Shen's words were suggestive, his tone was not and Hayley had no choice but to comply. She turned around and headed for the courtyard, her body waddling with the weight of the 'baby'. She longs for the day when this thing will end and yet at the same time dreads it – however were they supposed to produce a child who would look believable enough to pass as Niklaus'?!

With the she-wolf diverted, Xuan Wu makes his way to the side door, yanks it open and steps outside. Davina and Marcel still their movements, even their breaths as he steps further away from the entrance, passing them by. The young witch sends all the prayers she has within herself that they would not be discovered; the feeling she was getting from this man was one that clearly stated he was not to be messed with. Little do they know that though they are concealed from his eyes they are not from his senses; he knows exactly where they are and simply chooses to play along and pretend otherwise. He steps back and silently relays the experience to his daughter and son-in-law who then spread it out to the rest of the family.

Hayley paces in the courtyard, anxious to try and get back to that side door and let the other two in. She's at her wit's end – what with holding up on the fake pregnancy, trying desperately to appear as Celeste had suggested; a damsel-in-distress to her _love_ Elijah, all the while dodging the unnervingly penetrating stares of his daughter-in-law. She takes out her phone and sends a message to her lover and his witch, telling them to go to Celeste's and she will find another way. She had just put her phone away when Elijah's scent wafts towards her, she eagerly turns and her smile drops as she catches sight of the petite hand resting in the crook of his elbow, a genuinely affectionate smile on his face. His companion's head snaps in her direction, causing her to flinch under the green discomforting stare.

"Now, now Mei darling – I wish for nothing but a breath-taking smile to grace your face when in my presence. Miss Marshall carries your Uncle Nik's heir, we must treat her as if she were family. Come give me the smile that you reserve just for me." The Original admonishes. The younger woman turns her head back to her father-in-law and sighs heavily before acquiescing to his request and flashes him a blinding smile. "Much better, my daughter. Now, will you allow this old man to escort you to breakfast?" The tinkling laugh that responds to his charm sets off his own and Hayley could do nothing but watch the love of her existence accompany another woman to the Abattoir's informal dining room. She unknowingly follows them and watches as he pulls out a chair and seats his son's wife with the poise and grace of a man of his time. He plants a love-filled kiss upon her crown before making his way to the head of the table and taking his own seat.

"For Heavens' sake, do take a seat, stop staring and standing there like an idiot, you're ruining my appetite." The tinkling voice turns ice cold with venom as the words were spat Hayley's way. It helps snap her out of her daze and she makes her way around the opposite side from the young woman and headed for the seat at Elijah's right. "Don't. Even. Think. About it!" The command stays the werewolf's progress as she turns and looks Meili's way.

"Excuse me?"

"I believe I didn't stutter. I said, don't even think about it! Surely you know what I'm talking about?!" The silence that followed was palpable and Hayley was only too relieved when the rest of the family started flitting through the doors; the girl's husband was last.

"What has you so upset, baby?" He questions as he takes his seat next to her, putting him to the left of his father; as is his place.

"If you must know, the she-wo…" Meili begins before she's interrupted by said were.

"I have a name you know!" The younger woman's eyes flash with irritation as she briefly spares Hayley a glance.

"What you are called is of no importance to me; just as you are. I don't like you and I have never found any joy in pretending otherwise." Meili snaps back before continuing on to answer her husband. "As I was saying before I was _rudely_ interrupted… the she-wolf's presence has me upset. I don't like her, I don't trust her and I don't want her here but my wants are insignificant apparently in the face of her carrying Uncle Nik's heir!" Damon makes the appropriate commiserating noises before he reaches over and pulls his beloved onto his lap. He turns his head towards his father.

"I know she's carrying my cousin and all but as much as possible, can we avoid her being in the same room as my Mei, Dad? I don't like it when my princess is upset and she is very much so right now!" Hayley's jaw drops at Damon's words; though she feels insulted by them, she can't help but feel jealous of his actions. The woman in his arms all but demanded from him that he get rid of her and he was bending himself over backwards to comply – not once hesitating to act as his wife wishes.

"If Mei can tolerate her presence at the table with the family just for today, I will personally see to it and speak with Miss Marshall about separate meal times. Will that be agreeable with you, sweetheart?" Elijah compromises. His son looks down to his wife jerks her head sharply once to a nod to indicate her assent.

"I suppose but only for today." She reluctantly agrees before she leans her head against her husband's broad shoulder and closing her eyes as if praying for strength.

"Your wish as always is my command, my love." Damon coos at her before he sets about filling up the plate before them. One of their retainers comes forward and fills up their cups with coffee before stepping back into position just behind them against the wall.

"Miss Marshall, if you can please take a seat there. I assure you that you need not to be nervous, none of us Originals will harm you. I give you my word." Elijah points out a chair a little ways further down, closer to the centre of the table. Hayley relaxes at his promise and looks to the spot, then at Elijah and back to the spot again before making her way towards it, biting her tongue at protesting against his order.

* * *

Davina and Marcel made their way over to the address Hayley had given them, hoping that the witch Celeste will shelter them as the wolf had promised. When they reached the place, they stopped and contemplated for a moment, seeing how run-down the place was. Marcel having enjoyed the luxuries of the Abattoir was the most apprehensive; even before that he had run with the Originals and they were beyond wealthy! Before they could change their minds and directions, the door opens and out steps the witch named Celeste.

"You both had better come in. Word has spread about the Originals wanting you both – alive preferably but they also don't care if you're dead." With those words, she turns around and heads back into her home, leaving her door open – secure in the knowledge that they would be coming in.

* * *

" _They've arrived safely, Hayley. How's it going on your end?"_ Celeste asked. Hayley was once again ensconced in her room – feeling safe in the thought that Marcel had had her, _their_ room spelled to silence. Of course little did she realise that those spells were only effective against mortal and normal supernatural creatures; not quite so for true immortals like the Originals or the Shen. They could hear everything she said in perfect clarity.

"I have a feeling it would be a good couple of days at least before I can do anything about this. They're not very trusting of me right now, for good reason obviously and I know that they are only barely tolerating me because of this 'baby'!" The she-wolf replies as she finally stops her movements and opts to lie down on her bed instead. She was feeling quite lonely and vulnerable – circumstances considering, feeling this was couldn't be any more appropriate as she was indeed quite alone and possibly one of the weakest beings in the premises.

" _That's to be understandable. You will just have to prove yourself somehow. Endear yourself to Elijah. You need to act more lady-like remember? But try not to draw too much of the others' attention. If you can, try and drive a wedge between Elijah and the rest of them, though you'll need to get his son and daughter-in-law on your side to be successful. Leaving his siblings is one thing, something he can easily and have done in the past – but his son? Damon is the key to Elijah. You have Damon on your side, you have Elijah – though it's probably pretty much a thing for the rest of them. Damon is the lynchpin of the Originals, without him – they'll fall apart."_ No truer words could be said, even if the Originals were not happy about a potential enemy having pinpointed that out. Thankfully due to their family's dynamics, reputation, position and their alliance with the Shen, they have never really had to worry too much about potential or known enemies – everyone was too afraid to do anything against their family; most knew that it was pretty much akin to signing their own death certificates to do so.

* * *

Another day would pass before the Originals and the Shen finally allowed Hayley to put their plan into action. Most of the Mikaelsons and most of their guests were _conveniently_ out at the Quarter, whilst Elijah and Damon were in the library with Meili resting in their rooms. She had done various things the night before to ensure their safety, she was worried about what the witches can do. Obtaining the right sort of mineral or crystal is enough to imprison one of the Shen and whilst the Originals can't truly be killed, it didn't mean that they didn't have to take precautions. Of course there was a certain price that required to be paid for the protections they all now carried.

Hayley for the last forty-eight hours had been attempting to get close to Elijah and his immediate family; and though she couldn't do much with the case of Meili, she seemed to be running into some success with her husband and Elijah, considering that they had stopped watching her every movement and even got Meili to do the same or something close to it, anyhow. She made the calls and her three allies were on their way. As quickly as she could in her 'condition' she crossed the expanse of the manse and reached the side door. When they messaged her announcing their arrival, she opened the door and let them in; Marcel still being able to as the Originals had apparently neglected to change the deed over to someone else. A lucky break for them, or so it seems.

They were crossing into the courtyard when all hell broke loose and the four of them found themselves in their hands and knees, held down by _something_. All struggled, whilst Davina tried spell after enchantment to break free of whatever was holding them, with no success. A golf clap ringing around them gave them the strength needed to raise their heads and look around. **Everyone** was there! What in the world was going on?!

"You are not that good an actress, Miss Marshall and one did not need to be a genius to work out what was going on!" Elijah stated as he and his brothers circled the quartet. Everyone else except for his sister, sister-in-law and daughter-in-law, formed an extra perimeter around the brothers; whilst said females stood just to the side, with the former two standing guard over the latter as she kept a protective barrier around everyone individually.

"W-what?!" All four exclaimed in surprise and shock that their supposed well-thought out and planned plan was crumbling before their very eyes.

"In other words, the jig is up. We know everything. We've known since even before we arrived here in New Orleans!" Niklaus chuckles as he and Elijah took a step closer with Xuan Wu not too far behind them. The four were dismayed by is revelation.

"We also know that Hayley is not really pregnant and that she and Celeste, well they have a different agenda from the rest of you." Finn chimed in as he with his spelled hands reached out and up the wolf's top and ripped the spelled pillow off her body. The 'baby' fell out and Hayley's form started changing; she looked healthier and her clothes shrunk back to their original sizes.

"It's quite naïve or stupid of you to think that you would be able to get away with anything." Kol sneers as he catches the desperate looks that younger witch was throwing this way. He could also feel the spells she was sending him. "And even dumber to assume that we would be without any sort of protection. Though I must admit that even without the protections, your spells to turn me into your willing whatever would not have worked on me or any of us for that matter. Are you all forgetting exactly who we are?!" Davina had by now stopped struggling and casting spells; she believed Kol, having now stopped denying the inevitable, she could clearly sense that they are indeed as powerful if not more than what her visions have shown her. Not to mention that they wouldn't even blink in killing her.

"I had hoped that you would have been redeemable Marcel. I can see now that there is truly no way. So I release you. I release you from our bond as sire and child and I release you from our bond as father and son." As Niklaus said the words, Marcel started to feel the burning sensation he had been informed of when vampires released the bonds holding them. The double whammy of both their sire bond as well as their familial one has him dry-wrenching on the spot.

"Now that you have been released and my brother will no longer feel your pain…" Kol grinned as he reached out and snatched Marcel up, he vented all his frustration, anger and every other emotion onto the younger vampire until his face was barely even recognisable. When he was done, one by one the rest of their family took their 'own pound of flesh' from him. Niklaus was last, his blows were softer than the others and each hit was tinged with pain and regret. He kept on pounding on Marcel until he felt the soft and soothing hands of his niece-in-law and he stopped and for once with nary a care of any who would see, he knelt before her, burying his face into her stomach and screamed. He screamed his emotions; pain, anger, resentment and betrayal out of his system. His arms wrapped tightly around Meili's waist as he attempted to bring her even closer to him. Niklaus' breakdown only served to fuel his family's anger towards Marcel even more and they soon found themselves itching to have another go at the vampire. Sensing this, Meili snapped her head up and for the first time in their association pulled rank over the Originals.

"You will all stand down, that's an order." The effect was instantaneous, they all felt the compulsion to bow to her will; it was an unpleasant and foreign feeling – after all her father nor the Jade Emperor had ever had to place an order on them. They all however were not upset with the young Shen, felt grateful even as they knew that had she not placed the order, it was a necessary move to ensure that they did not act on their urges and was more likely to kill Marcel which would ruin the rest of what they had in store for him.

Once Niklaus had calmed enough and regained his composure, he turned to his former adopted son with darkened, cold eyes. It seemed that through his breakdown, the hybrid came to certain conclusions, one of which was to finally and completely sever the poisonous link between Marcel and himself. It was a relatively easy thing to do considering all the circumstances and it didn't feel as dreadful or terrible as he had first initially thought it would. It felt actually quite freeing – secure in the knowledge that he had attempted to and done all he can to guide young Marcel properly; nothing more, nothing less.

"There is truly nothing more I can do for you Marcellus. I will leave you at the capable hands of my nephew and his wife. May the Heavens show you mercy; my family certainly won't." He states before he turns around and heads towards his siblings, his sister Rebekah reaching over and wrapping her arms around his waist. He returns the embrace, not letting go, keeping his sister by his side.

Meili now turns her attention upon the former Original family member.

"In my eyes, there isn't a more heinous crime than turning your back on family. He may not have been there for all these years but you can't blame him because you were the one who caused this rift in the first place. He has been nothing but a doting father to you when you let him. I have seen your mind and your heart and I for one feel very sad that no matter what we all could have said and done for you; you will never change. For your crimes against family, I sentence you, Marcellus Gerald to spend the remainder of your days, living or otherwise in the pleasant care of the ten courts of Hell. I live and pray in hope that once you reach the last hell that you have repented and would feel remorse for all your past actions." And with an almost negligent movement of her wrist, she sends the vampire to the second court of hell.

She now turns her attention upon the she-wolf who was still struggling to get out. Meili reaches down and grabs Hayley's hair to drag her closer and swifter than a snake began to lay upon the wolf a beating she has no doubts that the woman deserved. They all watched in silence as she truly laid it onto the wolf and it was only when they had had enough and felt that Meili has proven her point did they step in.

"Calm baby, calm." Damon chants into his wife's ear as he gently removes the wolf from her grasps. He wraps his entire self around her and continues to murmur soothing words and lavish gentle caresses on her person. When she finally calmed to his liking, he turned her around in his embrace so that he could see the emerald depths he loves dearly.

"There is nothing more despicable than a desperate woman and even more reprehensible that you would use a child to try and get your way. Despite all of my anger towards you, I realised something? You are not worth my time and my anger and you are most certainly not deserving of my father-in-law. I sentence you, Hayley Marshall to spend the remainder of your undead life going through all the courts of hell." Hayley vanishes just as Marcel did. Having banished the leaders, all that was left were the witches.

Using her centres, Meili concentrates first within herself before she turns her gaze (all three of them) onto the older witch first. Being a magical creature, it takes a lot more than simply opening her Inner eye in order to be able to see into or manipulate a witch's mind; one first had to look within themselves for an anchor, otherwise they will find themselves drawn in and most likely end up getting trapped. Once she anchored herself, she then reaches out to Celeste first, she had a feeling that this one was most likely up to no good. And she was right.

The older witch did indeed have a plan. She had prepared a spell, a very good and powerful one to cast upon Elijah. One that will render him unconscious and give Celeste access to his mind so that she can remove and manipulate his memories; erasing those of his family. Celeste's intention was to have the Original forget all those he loves and would only know her. It was a good plan and had Elijah not become a true immortal, the spell would have worked. Meili knew that she would have to act – fast and now as the woman proved to be the most dangerous of the pair.

In a move to fast for even those with enhanced senses to see, she grabbed the older witch by the neck and snapped it. The sound of the broken bone broke everyone out of their reverie and they all watched stunned as she laid the lifeless body down on the ground. She then pulled out a small dagger from seemingly thin air and slashed her own palm, causing her husband to twitch at the disregard with which she treated her body. Meili allowed a few drops of her blood to drip into the witch's parted lips before she healed her wound. The sound of bone snapping once again echoed throughout and they all watched in fascination as the woman's body twitched, indicating life having returned to it. After a few more moments in which the young Shen princess assured herself that the witch had indeed come back to the land of the living, she rendered the woman unconscious and sent her to Hell to be judged by Yan Lou.

"What did you do?! Bring her back!" Davina yells, panic completely now setting in as she realises that she is now alone – all her allies having been disposed of.

"She has been sent to be judged, worry not you will be joining her shortly unless you are willing to abandon your plan and leave my family alone?" Meili answered as she rose to her feet with the assistance of her husband.

"I will do as I wish, you have no power over me! I am a servant of Nature, needed for the Balance and you cannot touch me!" The young witch declares haughtily. The company before her bursts into laughter as they witnessed the déjà vu before them.

"Another such as yourself not too long ago made the same declaration, would you like to see where she is now?" Rebekah taunted. Simone snickers as she brings up a screen to show the teenager Bonnie's fate. She turns her dark eyes towards the cloudy window and they widen as they gazed upon Bonnie slowly and painfully gutted as she watched her parents and cousin through a screen living their lives without the knowledge of her existence and they seemed happier without her!

"I will let you in on something I denied her, Davina Clare." Simone cooed as she sidled next to the witch, wrapping an arm around her. She leans close, her lips brushing softly against Davina's ear. "We are Nature's very hand – it is through us, not you that she works her will. Your kind were meant to be nothing more than her eyes and ears, a power that through the ages you have abused, misused. The time of you naughty little wiccans is almost up. If you do not repent and redeem yourselves, she will rise up and take back what is hers and when she is done, all that will be left of your kind will be those of the old; the ones who stayed to the true path.

For your part in this little ploy to rid of my family, I sentence you Davina Clare to lifetime after lifetime of endless torture, just as your Mystic Falls counterpart has to live through the ages of watching her family who had forgotten her live their lives in a far better state than when she was around, so shall you. You will endure never ending pain all the while you watch your parents, your siblings and that pathetic little human, Timmy live out their lives peacefully and happily, memories of you nothing more than a passing abstract silhouette in their dreams. Though unlike Bonnie, you will not have the same mercy. Your family's memory of you will not be removed; they will suffer through some time of seeking for you, we want you to see how one by one they will give up searching for you and how they will move on, replace you and perhaps every once in a while, remember you in passing when the wind reminds them of your name."

Tears poured like small rivers down Davina's cheek as Simone forced the images in her imagination to become real, to feel real. The very thought of all she held dear, all she loved slowly forgetting her was too much to bear and she broke down into wailing sobs as she sunk to her knees, begging and pleading the demi-goddess before her.

* * *

Celeste blinks her eyes open and looks around, surprised to see green grass and flourishing trees rather than the fire and brimstone she had associated hell with. Still wary and rightfully so, she tentatively steps forward, testing the ground and all of her surroundings. She attempts to use her magic to help her scan further ahead and is happy to have found that she still had it. Feeling safer that her talent is still with her and that she seems to have escaped somehow, she strides on forward, eager to try and see if she can reach a town or a village so that she can get her bearings. It seemed like hours before the witch finally stops and decides a different tactic as a growing unease at the pit of her stomach was telling her that something was not quite right with this place. With that in mind, she looks around and spots a small boulder. Conjuring up her magic, she marks the boulder before she decides to proceed ahead. In what seemed like once again hours she walked on until she came upon another boulder and to her relief, it didn't bear the marking that she had left behind. She continued on and again walked for a few more hours until she came upon another boulder. That dreaded feeling came on again, harder this time and she feels it sink as she approaches the stone and finds her mark. She was going around in circles! But the journey seemed to take quite a while and it wasn't until she chanced to look up did she realise that not only was she walking in circles but that she literally was in one! She wasn't passing by two boulders before she was back to where she was, she was passing the same one but from different sides! The ground hanging upside down above her head taunted her. Disheartened she sits down and tries various enchantments and spells to try and get her out of her prison, to no avail.

"What to do? What to do?" Celeste mutters to herself, not noticing that she now had company.

"There's not much for you to do, old hag." Simone's laughter tinkles from behind her. The older witch spins around, her face contorting in anger as she catches sight of the being who was responsible for her imprisonment and her equally evil sister.

"You cannot escape this place. There is only one person who can leave this place in and out unaided and believe me when I tell you that as merciful as she is, you will find none with her. You have broken your own laws; the laws of Nature. As a witch, you are bound to serve Her and you have failed, spectacularly might I add. Everything you did and said was for nothing more than your own gain – you didn't even _attempt_ to help others.

Your punishment therefore is this – for you, every day will be the same; will start the same, will end the same. Your torture will be never ending and along with that physical reminder, you will also be receiving daily video reports of how all those you care for, hold dear, love will be living out their lives in happiness without you. You will watch as Uncle Elijah takes on lover after lover until he finds that _one_ who will make all his waiting and all his patience worth it.

Be thankful that this is the punishment you are receiving. Your crimes compared to theirs are relatively lighter. You have one chance at redemption, if I were you, I would strive for it."

Celeste opens her mouth to retort, only to find that her voice is now gone. She panics as she realises that she will not be able to use her powers as chanting was something her brand of witch required in order to use their talents.

"Yes, don't even think about it. This little pseudo world was made specifically for wiccans like yourself. There are forces at work in this very space which prevents you from trying to bust your own way out. For as long as you do not change or at the very least compromise your outlook; you will never be free from here. I would suggest taking this time to really think about all the things you have done and how you will repent and gain forgiveness for them as you will certainly not be receiving any from our family." Meili warns her. They turn around and start walking towards the horizon; Celeste attempting to follow them as surely, they knew the way out. The more she tried to follow however, the further away they seemed to be. She finally reaches what she thought would be the end of their road when to her dismay, it opened up to at least a dozen obvious paths with probably another dozen or so more branching off from _those_ paths. With a frustrated sigh, she sits herself back down onto the ground and tries to think up of another way out of this place. It was then that she felt a slight vibration, thinking it a trick of her imagination she continues to think of ways to escape and then she feels it again. And again, and whatever it was, it seemed to be getting closer. She stands and readies herself, though how she thought she could was a little hard to see considering she had no armour to speak of, no fighting skills and her magic is blocked – she's essentially a sitting duck. She barely had time to scream when she was grabbed from behind by a figure so large that he easily picked her up as if she was nothing more than a ragdoll! She turns her head to confront her captor when a second ear-piercing scream rents the air as she catches sight of the creature. It was singularly the largest and scariest thing she had ever seen! Like a monster straight out of the movies! It flinched at the volume she was producing, causing it to squeeze her a little higher and tighter. Her lungs feel like they're about to burst from the painful squeezing she was forced to endure. With one last squeeze, a different number of things happen all at once – her head popped away from her body, her hot blood spraying all over the monster's hand and torso.

* * *

Marcel looks around the place he ended up on after he was punished by the Originals and their friends. The street he was in seemed to look similar to that of the street that led up to the infamous Abattoir, just like in the French Quarter! He walks further along, his excitement building as landmark after landmark, etc. lay about the area, bringing up that nostalgic feeling. She finally reaches the end of the street and eagerly looks up at the sight of the place he has called home for a good few centuries. He starts to walk faster and faster until he is almost sprinting but no matter what he does, the Abattoir seems to keep staying just out of reach. He pauses for a moment to catch his breath and watches in astonishment as the home seemed closer to him than he realised.

Just as he was about to reach out and touch the building, it seems to shy away. Marcel continues to attempt to gain access to that house but alas it seemed it wasn't meant to be. The more he walked forward the more it seemed to back away. He's a vampire for the love of God, how can this inanimate object have thwarted him at every turn?! He attempts again to touch the home and once again it moves away from him! He kept on trying again and again and again and again the home eludes him. It was hours later before he finally decides to stop attempting to get near the home! He stares at the doors in longing, wishing he was inside once more, surrounded by sycophants that he can bend to his will. The doors suddenly get flung open and out steps the bane of his existence and his equally dangerous better half.

* * *

 **A/N: hey, apologies once again for being late. Unfortunately, life did get in the way. The bad news is, this may not be the first or last time it will happen but I will endeavour to make it right. The good news is, that I am half-way through the next chapter and so should be able to post on time next week!**

 **Hope you've been enjoying my story and that you drop me a line to let me know.**

 **Your opinion does matter!**


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